Falling Leaves
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Renowned dojo instructor Willow Green never thought her life would change so drastically, but when the Kraang invade Earth for a second time, Willow's life as she knows it is turned upside down.
1. Chapter 1

Falling Leaves

Chapter 1: A Place to Hide

A/N: This plot bunny has come to me suddenly, and I figured now would be the best time to write about it since it won't leave me alone. This story contains an OC though she's older than the Turtles and doesn't meet them the way most OCs do. I hope that you enjoy this story as I feel I'm going to have a lot of fun writing it.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and anyone else you don't recognize from the TMNT franchise.

Summary: Renowned dojo instructor Willow Green never thought her life would change so drastically, but when the Kraang invade Earth for a second time, Willow's life as she knows it is turned upside down.

Willow sighed as she tried, yet again, to teach her young student the correct form of the kata. As much as she enjoyed teaching people martial arts, it could get trying at times when her students didn't listen to her.

"Did I do it right, Sensei?" the boy asked her.

"No, you have the wrong stance," Willow replied. "Try it like this." She demonstrated the move and then waited as the young boy copied her exactly. "Much better. Good job, Billy."

"Thanks, Sensei Willow," he said. "Do you think I'll grow up to be a great ninja?"

She ruffled his hair. "I think you'll grow up to be a fantastic ninja," she said affectionately. "Well, that's the end of the lesson. Don't forget to keep practicing. I'll see you on Monday."

"Goodbye, Sensei Willow!" yelled Billy as he waved at her.

She smiled and watched as the young boy left the dojo and got into the car where his mother was waiting for him. Then she picked up the mats that had been used earlier in the day and put them away in their respective places. She took the broom and began to sweep the floor before heading out for the day.

Willow was proud of her dojo and was surprised it had lasted as long as it had. Many other dojos had gone out of business due to Chris Bradford's chain of dojos all over New York, and Willow had feared hers would be subjected to this problem. However, many of her students rallied around her and had made sure that her dojo remained open. It warmed her heart to know that so many people cared about her and looked up to her as a teacher.

Her phone rang and she immediately answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Willow, are you done?" a voice on the other end asked.

"Yep, just got done. You ready to meet me for lunch?"

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"I think Murakami's sounds nice," she answered. "See you in a few, Cynthia."

"See you in a few," replied Cynthia.

After hanging up, Willow smiled to herself. She was excited to meet her best friend, Cynthia Lee, for lunch. Cynthia was a fifth grade teacher and had often wished that she could do something else like Willow was, though she wasn't athletic and wasn't adept at martial arts either. She loved teaching, but there were some days where it was too much for her.

Murakami's was bustling with activity as Willow entered and spotted her friend sitting at a table. She hurried over and smiled as she sat down across from Cynthia.

"So, what's happening, Cyn?" she asked.

"Not much," Cynthia replied. "I'm so glad it's Saturday and I don't have to work. I'm surprised you don't take off today."

Willow shrugged. "I have to pay the bills somehow," she told her. "But at least I get Sundays off and I get an hour for lunch when I do work. It pays to be your own boss."

Cynthia sighed. "Yeah, I wish I could do that," she said. "At least you don't have to deal with idiots who are running a school."

"No, but I do have to deal with parents sometimes," Willow pointed out.

"Very true," Cythia agreed. "How's your day going so far?"

"Pretty good. I finally got Billy to do the kata right."

Cythia laughed. "Well, at least he knows how to do it now."

"What about you? How are the fifth graders?"

"Pretty good, though Brad was being obnoxious again and didn't listen to what I had to say."

"Yeah, he can be like that. He comes to the dojo, and he definitely doesn't know how to listen."

"I didn't know he came to your dojo. You poor thing."

Wilow laughed. "It's not that bad," she said. "He usually is put back in line if I use my sternest voice on him and threaten him with flips."

"Maybe I should try that."

"It can't hurt to try it. Or you could threaten to send him to me."

"I'm sure he'd be quaking in his shoes," Cynthia laughed.

The talk turned to lighter subjects such as television shows they both loved, how they wanted to get together to go shopping soon, and how their families were doing. Willow was an only child. Her father had died in a car accident, and her mother was in an adult residency now though Willow made sure to visit her every Sunday. Cynthia had one sister living and though they didn't get along that well, she still did her best to deal with her.

Murakami gave them their orders, and they began eating and savoring every bite.

"I just knew you'd order the pizza gyoza," Cynthia teased her friend.

"It's good," Willow defended. "I don't know why you won't try it."

"Because it's not real Japanese food," Cynthia replied. "Give me miso soup any day."

Willow stuck her tongue out playfully at her friend as she continued to eat her meal. She was happy that Cynthia was meeting her for lunch and hanging out with her. They were both so busy, they rarely had a chance to catch up and spend time together. When the meal was over, they said goodbye and promised to see each other soon. Willow left the restaurant to head back to her dojo while Cynthia left to go to her apartment.

Willow was excited to get back to her dojo and finish working for the rest of the day. She usually worked on Monday through Saturday and was only off on Sundays and certain holidays. As she thought about the lesson she was going to take her students through, she was startled out of her thoughts by a very loud sound. She jumped and looked ahead of her and saw a pink portal materializing out of nowhere. It deposited two men who were dressed in business suits and were wearing sunglasses.

"What the hell is going on?" she muttered to herself.

More things were coming out of the portal and Willow recognized one of the ships. It was one of the ships those aliens had had last year. They apparently had returned.

"This can't be good," she said as she began to run. She just had to make it to her dojo and she'd be safe. A giant robot blocked her way, its leg coming down in front of her. She shrieked and turned around, trying to avoid a crush of people who were running the same way she was. What was she going to do?

As luck would have it, someone grabbed her and pulled her to safety as one of the robots fired a laser that would have killed her if she'd been standing too close. The man wore a trench coat and fedora just like some of those detectives in old movies would do.

"Quick, we don't have much time!" he said as he guided her away from the chaos and led her to an abandoned warehouse.

"Who are you?" she demanded once they were safely inside.

"My name's Jack Kurtzman," answered the man. "I was walking around when I noticed the Kraang had returned."

"Wait, is that what they call themselves?" she asked him.

"Yep. I know all about them because I've been doing research on them."

"Oh. Do you know how to stop them?"

"I have some friends who might help, but I can't find them. I'm gonna wait until all of this dies down before I go to look for them."

"Do you think the police could help?' Willow asked him.

He shook his head. "There's no way they'd be able to do anything now. The Kraang are too powerful. But don't worry. I'm sure my friends will be able to stop this menace soon enough. What's your name?"

"Willow Green," she answered. "I'm a dojo instructor."

"Ah, that's neat," Jack said. "So you know martial arts then."

"Yes, I've been learning them since I was five," she replied.

"My friends are pretty talented ninjas themselves," Jack said. "They've stopped an invasion before, and I'm sure they can do it again if they get the right tools."

"When are you going to look for them?" she asked him.

"Very soon, but I want you to stay here," he advised her. "It's too dangerous out there."

Willow nodded though she really wanted to do anything she could to help. Her thoughts turned to her students. Were they okay, or had the robots gotten them? What about Cynthia? Had she made it to her apartment? Willow pulled out her phone and dialed her friend's number, but there was no answer. This put a chill down Willow's spine because Cynthia never failed to answer her phone. Something was terribly wrong.

Jack noticed the stricken look on her face. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I'm worried about my friend," she answered. "She was supposed to leave for her apartment, and I don't know if she got there okay. She won't answer her phone."

"Did you leave a message?"

No, she hadn't because she'd been too shocked. But would Cynthia answer her? She decided to try again. When the voice message came on and the beep sounded, Willow said, "Cyn, it's Willow. I just want to tell you that I'm okay and I want to know if you're okay, too. Please call me as soon as you get this." Then she hung up and just hoped that her friend would call her back.

"Here's some soup," Jack said as he gave her a bowl. "I don't have much down here, but I hope to get more."

"How long have you been here?" Willow asked.

"A few weeks. I had to leave my apartment because the Kraang know where I live, so I relocated to this warehouse to stay safe."

"I suppose that makes sense," she mused. She wondered whether they had taken refuge in her apartment too. What about the dojo? Were her students safe? She really didn't want them to get hurt because of her. She yawned loudly.

"I suppose you're tired," Jack said. "Well, I don't have a bed for you, but there's a couch right there. I can always find some blankets and sleep on the floor."

"Are you sure? I can always take the floor."

"No, I don't want you to sleep on the floor. You take the couch."

She nodded and settled on the soft piece of furniture. Jack came and laid two blankets over her. She definitely was still worried about what was going on, but sleep claimed her before she could really process anything, and she closed her eyes.

22222

 _It has been three days now since I've been here. Jack gave me this notebook to write in. I know I've always kept a journal before, so I've decided to keep one now. The aliens have invaded, and they aren't leaving. Jack thinks his friends aren't around because he figures they would have stopped them by now. He's worried, and he just left to go find them. I wanted to go with him, but he refused, saying I had to stay here. I insisted that I could help as I was a skilled martial artist, but he still refused. I know he wants to protect me, but he needs to stop treating me like a baby._

 _Cyn never called back, and I'm worried about her. I hope the aliens didn't get her. I'm getting really sick of being cooped up here, but there's nothing I can do. I miss my home. I miss my dojo and my students. I just want things to be back to normal and not be in chaos. Ah, Jack's back. I wonder if he brought his friends. I better go see._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

"Jack is that you?" Willow called as she closed her journal. She wished she had brought the twin katanas she had at her dojo, but she had no weapons on her, save for some pepper spray.

"Yep, it's me," Jack said. "I brought some company with me."

Willow hurried over to him and then gasped as she saw who he meant. There was a huge mutant turtle with spikes on his back, a mutant alligator who looked like he could crush someone with his hands, a mutant monkey, and a mutant pigeon. Where had they come from?

"Um, are these your friends?" she asked him.

"No, but they are now," Jack said. "This is Slash (he pointed to the turtle), Leatherhead (the alligator), Dr. Rockwell (the monkey), and Pigeon Pete (the mutant pigeon)."

"Oh, nice to meet you," Willow said.

"Likewise," Slash said. "We heard Jack had taken in someone else."

"Yeah, it's because of those aliens. Are you going to stop them?"

"We'll try, but I can't make any promises," Slash said.

"We will do what we can to protect you," Leatherhead said. "What is your name?"

"Oh, I forgot my manners," she said. "I'm Willow Green. I was running from the Kraang when Jack rescued me."

"It's a good thing he found you," Rockwell replied. "Otherwise you would have been in grave danger."

A flash of recognition flashed in her eyes. "I know you! You're one of the missing scientists that the Kraang kidnapped! I saw it on the Internet!"

"Well, I wasn't exactly kidnapped by them at first. I was first turned into a mutant by my old partner Victor Falco. Then the Kraang caught me and experimented on me. I was just wandering the streets when Slash found me, and now we're here."

"You're lucky Jack found you then," Willow said.

"It's awesome!" Pete squeaked. "It's like we're gonna be superheroes."

"Then you boys need a name," Willow suggested. She thought a moment. "Well, you're mutant animals, so how about if you call yourselves the Mighty Mutanimals?"

Slash's eyes lit up. "I like it," he said. "What do you guys think?"

The others agreed and thus the Mighty Mutanimals were born.

22222

 _Living here isn't so dull anymore now that the Mighty Mutanimals are here. All of them have their different personalities, but I like them just for that. Slash is the leader of the group, and he seems to be pretty intense sometimes. He's determined to stop the Kraang from whatever they have planned, and he schedules nightly patrols so the Mutanimals can go and take care of any Kraang who are pestering people. I don't think it's a good idea, but I can't stop them no matter how I try. I've even offered to help, but they won't allow it despite my protests._

" _The Kraang are looking to mutate humans," Slash informed me when I protested that I wanted to help. "It's no good to have you out there as easy bait for them."_

 _I glared at him. Who did he think he was to tell me what to do? I wasn't sure of his age, but I was pretty sure I was older than him. "I can help," I protested. "I'm a trained martial artist. I'm sure the Kraang can't get to me."_

 _Slash grabbed my arm and led me to one of the windows that was boarded up. He forced me to look out just as a big Kraang robot was cornering two humans and poured green goop on them._

 _Slash stared at me. "You see that? Do you really think you could handle that? Those robots would decimate you and you'd be a mutant like so many others. You need to stay here where you'll be safe. We'll handle the Kraang."_

 _I bit my lip, realizing he was right. "Okay, I'll stay here."_

" _Good," Slash said. "I'll see you later."_

" _Could you do something for me?" I asked him._

" _Sure. What do you want?"_

" _Could you see if you could find out where my friend is? Her name is Cynthia Lee and I haven't heard from her. She's got blond curly hair and is about five foot two, give or take a few inches."_

" _Yeah, we'll look for her," he answered. "You just stay here."_

 _I nodded and watched him go. I had a feeling it was best not to go rushing into things._

 _Leatherhead is also a very interesting mutant. He was taken by the Kraang, too, and is very upset with them. He has a bit of a temper problem, though from what I've gathered, he's learned to control it by breathing deeply. He said that by befriending someone named Michelangelo he has learned to keep his temper in check. I have to admit that it's very admirable of him to think that way._

 _Dr. Rockwell is the brains of the group. Well, he would be seeing as he was a scientist before he became what he is. He often presents certain facts to us about things we'd never know and also has an ability to sense where the Kraang are. I asked him about Cynthia, and he said he'd do all he could to aid in finding her. I just hope they can do it._

 _And then there's Pigeon Pete. He's a bit hyper and outgoing, bordering on annoying sometimes. I have to admit that the only thing that settles him down is when someone gives him some bread. But he is a nice little pigeon and often asks me more about human life since he was originally a pigeon before he got turned into what he is._

 _Jacks's gone all of the time, too. He's doing more research on the Kraang, and I often worry that he'll get mutated like all of the others. But he seems to know what he's doing, so I have to have faith in him._

 _Now they've returned, so I have to go and ask after Cynthia. I just hope they have found her and she's okay._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

At the sound of the door opening, Willow rushed over to where the Mighty Mutanimals were gathered. "Did you find Cynthia?" she asked anxiously.

Slash shook his head. "No sign of her, but she could be hiding out with other humans. There are all sorts of shelters out there where humans have hidden."

"Maybe you could find her and bring her here," Willow suggested.

"Too risky," Slash said. "We don't want the humans to see us, and if they did, they'd get upset and think we're working for the Kraang. If she's in a safe house, she'll be fine."

Willow had to content herself with that information, though it didn't make things easier. Jack came home as well, and they settled down to eat some sandwiches he'd managed to get from one of the local deli restaurants. Willow picked off the lettuce and tomato on hers and ate the sub, relishing the flavors on her tongue. This wasn't the best place at the moment, but for now, it was all she had. She just hoped that this whole mess would blow over and that when it was done, she would find Cynthia and her life would return to normal. For now, it was all she could hope for.

A/N: And that's the end of the first chapter. I'm having a lot of fun coming up with this story, and I hope that all of you will enjoy it, too. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Saviors of New York

A/N: And here's the next chapter in this tale. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me and I'm glad you're enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Now Willow will finally meet the Turtles.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

 _I'm not sure how long I've been here now. The days have just run together for me. The Kraang are still here and are still causing trouble. Jack acquired a television, but even the news isn't right as Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe keeps saying that everything is fine. It's far from fine, and yet he can't see that. Jack thinks he's being mind-controlled by the Kraang. I wasn't aware they could do that, but it sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. What if my students were mind-controlled? What about Cynthia? I just can't bear to think about it._

 _Despite my fears, the Mighty Mutanimals have done all they could to reassure me. We found some board games and have been playing them. It's a lot of fun, and at these times I can almost forget that I'm in a warehouse while the city is being invaded by the Kraang. Instead, I flash back to sleepovers at Cynthia's where we would play board games and watch movies until we fell asleep. If only we could go back to those days!_

 _The Mutanimals have gone out again. I just hope they'll be safe. I do worry about them at times, and I think they understand that. Ah, they just got back. I'd better make sure they aren't wounded. Slash was hurt a few days ago from laser fire from the Kraang. It healed, but it scared me to think that he was hurt._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

Willow was surprised to see the Mutanimals back, but she was equally surprised at who was with them. She gasped as she saw four mutant turtles with different colored masks looking at her. Jack rose from his desk and greeted them.

"So, are these the friends you were talking about?" Willow asked him.

Jack nodded. "Yep, these are the ones," he answered. "Ninja Turtles, I want to introduce you to Willow Green. She's a good friend of mine I've been taking care of during the invasion."

"Pleased to meet you," Willow said as she extended her hand to the blue masked Turtle.

"Likewise," the blue masked Turtle said as he shook her hand. "I'm Leonardo, but you can call me Leo for short. The one in red is Raphael, though you can call him Raph. The one in purple is called Donatello but you may call him Donnie."

The orange masked one came forward before Leo could say anything else and smiled at me. "And I'm Michelangelo, but the ladies call me Mikey," he said puckering up his lips for a kiss.

"Nice to meet you, Mikey," Willow said with a laugh.

Jack showed the Turtles a series of slides about the Kraang and what they were planning. It was clear that Leo and Slash had some animosity and weren't willing to work together, but they had no choice. Before anything else could be said, the Kraang invaded the warehouse and began firing. Willow shrieked and did her best to dodge the lase fire. Leo ordered her to hide while he fended off some of the Kraang. Jack was injured by laser fire, and they carried him away and to the pizza parlor where the Turtles had been staying.

Willow was amazed at how they'd converted the place into a home. Along with the Turtles were a rat named Splinter who was their father and sensei and two human children named April O'Neil and Casey Jones. She didn't know them at all as they had never been to her dojo, but they seemed like good kids.

The Turtles convened about what to do and the Mutanimals joined them, though Slash was adamant about not working with Leo. Once the plan had been formulated, they headed out to destroy the missile that the Kraang were going to use. Willow wanted to help, but Leo gave her a stern look.

"This isn't your place, Miss Green," he said. "You need to stay here where it's safe. We can't risk you getting hurt."

Once again, Willow was insulted by his tone, though she understood why he felt that way. She would just be in the way, and that wasn't something that could happen. So she stayed with Splinter, Jack, and the kids while the mutants went to take care of the problem. She only hoped that they would get rid of the problem and stop the Kraang once and for all.

22222

 _The Turtles and Mutanimals haven't come back yet. What's going on? It doesn't look like they've stopped anything. I really hate just staying here, but I know why I have to. I'd just be underfoot, and I can't afford to be a liability. I've been watching Jack and making sure he's still breathing, which he is. I suppose that's a good thing._

 _While I've been waiting, I've been talking to Splinter. He told me how he and the Turtles came to be and a little more about the Mutanimals. He's a very interesting rat, and I find myself taking a liking to him. He reminds me a bit of my own father with how worried he is for his children._

" _I'm sure they'll be okay," I reassured him when he worried that they wouldn't come back._

" _I know, but I do worry about them. Do you have any children of your own, Miss Green?"_

" _Please, call me Willow. No, I don't have any official children, but I run a dojo and think of my students as my children. They're all so special, and I worry about them."_

" _Yes, I am sure you do. Do you just teach children then?"_

" _No, I teach elderly people, too. You'd be surprised how many elderly people are fit to work out. My oldest student is sixty-five."_

 _Splinter smiled. "That is admirable for someone that old to want to continue to stay active."_

" _Yes, it is. Edith is a very active woman, and she enjoys learning from me."_

" _I am sure you are a good teacher," he commented._

" _Thank you, Splinter," I said. "I'm sure you're a good teacher, too. Your sons seem very nice."_

" _They are, though they can be a handful at times just like any children."_

" _How old are they?"_

" _They are sixteen," he answered._

" _Leo sounded much older than that," I commented._

" _Yes, his voice has indeed changed due to the attack," explained Splinter._

" _What attack?"_

" _He was attacked by Shredder and the Foot."_

" _Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Will he be okay?"_

" _I believe he will though it will take time for him to heal."_

 _Hearing what happened to Leo made me feel horrible. How could one so young suffer at the hands of someone so horrible? Splinter filled me in on their war with the Foot and Shredder. He seemed like a horrible man, and I wished I could do something to help with that._

 _Wait, something is happening! People are reappearing. I think it's the ones who were mutated. I'd better go and see what's going on._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

Willow hurried out of the pizza parlor and saw people coming around. The Kraang had disappeared, and it looked like everything was fine. Splinter smiled as he saw the people rejoicing the defeat of the Kraang.

"I believe my sons were successful," he said.

"I should probably go home," Willow said.

"No, we do not know how safe your home is. Perhaps you would like to stay the night with us at our home. You can always go back tomorrow."

"I'm sure my home is fine, Splinter," she reassured him. "Thanks for the offer, but I really do need to get back."

"I will have one of my sons escort you," Splinter replied.

Willow accepted that and walked home with Leonardo following her from the rooftops. He appeared in the alley next to her apartment and motioned her to come to him.

"You need to stay here," he said. "I want to make sure your apartment is safe. Is there a fire escape there?"

"Yes, go around back. My apartment is on the second floor, second window from the right."

He nodded and left. Willow watched as he made his way into her apartment and then deemed with a thumbs up that it was safe. She entered through the lobby and used her key to open her apartment. It still looked the same, much to Willow's relief.

"Looks like everything's fine," she said. "Thanks for walking me home."

"No problem," he said then yawned.

"You look tired," she noted. "Maybe you can stay the night here."

"I don't want to be any trouble," he protested.

"It's no trouble at all. Just call your dad to tell him where you are, and I'm sure he'll be fine with it."

Leo did as she asked and Splinter gave his permission for Leo to stay. Willow went into her room and came out with a blanket. Leo had already settled himself on the couch, and Willow covered him with the blanket and wished him a good night, which he returned. Then she settled into her own bed, happy to be home at last.

22222

She was roused out of sleep by Leo crying out. Jumping out of bed, she hurried to the living room and saw Leo thrashing about on the couch. She shook him awake, and he sat bolt upright, letting out a cry of alarm.

"Shh, it's okay," she soothed. "You're safe here." She held him close and rubbed his shell, taking note of the scars that littered his body. "Don't be scared."

He continued to tremble against her, sobs wracking his body as he remembered the horrible images. She knew he had been thinking about the attack and had dreamed about it.

"Do you want to talk about the dream?" she asked after he had calmed down.

Leo shook his head. "No, I really don't."

"Okay. Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

He nodded. "I'd like that very much."

And so she stayed and talked with him until he grew tired again. Then she hummed a lullaby her mother used to hum to her when she was little and waited while his eyelids closed and his breathing became soft. Planting a soft kiss on his forehead, she bade him goodnight and settled into her own bed. She noticed a message from Cynthia which confirmed she was safe and answered it with a text. Then she picked up her journal just as she did every night before bed.

22222

 _Leo finally fell asleep. I feel horrible for him and what he had to endure at the hands of the Shredder. I will do all I can to protect him from that horrible man so he doesn't hurt Leo ever again. I know it's not much, but I just want to make sure he doesn't get hurt again. No one should have to deal with that._

 _Before he fell asleep, Leo and I talked of various subjects because that's how my friends and I used to fall asleep when we had sleepovers. I wasn't sure he wanted to talk to me, but he did. I found out he loves Space Heroes, too, and he seemed surprised that I was a fan._

" _You like Space Heroes?" he asked skeptically._

" _Yes, I've loved it for a long time. Why do you sound so skeptical?"_

" _Well, you're an adult, and I didn't think adults liked stuff like that."_

 _I laughed. Such a silly boy! "Adults can like anything. You're never too old to like cartoons. I've known adults who still watch Bugs Bunny."_

" _Yeah, we used to watch those shows, too," he said. "Do you like sports?"_

" _Not really. I do enjoy pro wrestling though."_

" _Yeah, Mikey, Raph, and I like it, but Donnie hates it. He thinks it's all fake garbage."_

 _I laughed. "Cynthia says the same thing. Whenever I start talking about it, she says, 'I don't know how you can like that fake garbage. It's so dumb.' The only other friend who likes it besides me is Gina."_

" _What does she do?"_

" _She's a bus driver, and she loves wrestling just as much as I do. She used to be a huge fan of Hulk Hogan."_

" _She doesn't like him now?"_

" _I think she does, but even she admits that he's gotten so old."_

" _Ah, I see. So, what was your favorite subject in school?"_

" _I loved English," I answered. "PE was also a favorite of mine. Did Splinter teach you guys?"_

" _Yeah he taught us how to read and write. My favorite subject has always been history, especially Japanese history. Donnie likes science and math, Mikey likes art, and Raph doesn't really like school."_

" _Does Splinter still teach you?"_

" _Sometimes, though as we've gotten older, he's pretty much told us we need to figure things out for ourselves."_

 _I nodded. "That seems reasonable. What's the best part about being a ninja?"_

" _I've always liked using my weapons and helping people in need. I know ninjutsu wasn't made for that initially, but I feel like my brothers and I are fulfilling a purpose when we go out and help people. I've always wanted to be a hero, and I feel like I'm living out my dream."_

" _I can see why you would feel that way."_

" _What's the best part about being a sensei?"_

" _My students are the best part," I replied. "I enjoy teaching them new things and seeing their eyes light up when they learn a new move. It's always so rewarding to me."_

" _I think Splinter feels the same way with us," he said. "I can tell he has a certain gleam in his eye when we learn a new move."_

" _You speak about him so reverently as though you worship him," I noted._

" _I suppose I do in my own way," he conceded. "I always want to be the best I can be and please him. I want to be just like him."_

" _But you can't be just like him, Leo," I pointed out. "You have to find your own path. It's fine to want to please him, but remember that you aren't your father and you never will be. You have to be yourself, too."_

 _He sighed. "You're right, but it's not that easy. I asked to be the leader, and now I have to carry the burden on my own."_

 _I put a hand on his shoulder. "You aren't alone, Leo. You have your family to help you carry the burden and you have me, too. I promise if you ever need to talk about something, I'm here."_

 _He smiled. "Thanks, Miss Green."_

" _Please, call me Willow."_

" _Okay, Willow," he said. He yawned._

" _I see someone is tired. Do you think you can go to sleep?"_

" _I think so. Thanks for staying with me, Willow."_

" _You're welcome, Leo. Are you sure you'll be able to stay here during the day? I have to work tomorrow."_

" _I'll be fine," he reassured me. "I already told Sensei I would be back tomorrow night after patrol."_

" _Okay. Well, have a good sleep."_

" _Could you sing something for me? Master Splinter would always sing a lullaby whenever we had nightmares."_

" _I suppose I could do that," I answered. Then I hummed a lullaby my mother used to sing to me and watched as his eyelids closed and his breathing became soft. I planted a kiss on his forehead and left him to sleep._

 _I know he's still in a lot of pain, and it's up to me to help him through it along with his other family members. But for right now, I'd better get to sleep so I can go to work in the morning. I wouldn't want to be tired on my first day back._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter is done. I swear, I'm having so much fun with this, and I'm even planning on writing a few one shots featuring Willow and the others. We'll see how things go. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Apartment Living

A/N: So here's the next chapter in this story. I'm so happy to be giving you guys another chapter. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you like this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

The sound of Willow getting out of bed was what woke Leo though he was generally an early riser. He smiled as she came out of her room in her blue robe with her brown hair down.

"Good morning, Leo," she greeted him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I managed to get some sleep," he answered. "Thanks again for staying with me."

"It was no trouble," Willow said. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Whatever you have will be fine."

Willow made eggs and bacon for both of them. They sat at her simple kitchen table with only four place settings to eat their meal. Leo noted that Willow was an excellent cook.

"These eggs are delicious," he commented.

"Thanks," she said. "Do you guys cook?"

"Mikey's the usual cook, though Raph and I cook sometimes, too. Donnie's the worst at it because he tends to try to experiment with food too much. I'll never forget how he tried to make soup and tried to put pepper in it to make it more flavorful." He wrinkled his beak at the memory.

Willow laughed. "Well, remind me not to let Donnie make me some food."

He also laughed. "I'll be sure to take that into consideration."

Then Willow got down to business. "Okay, I'm going to get ready for work. I'll be back around noon so we can have lunch and then I'll leave again after that to continue work. I should be back here around six. Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine."

"You can watch whatever you want on TV if you'd like. I also have an impressive DVD collection, so feel free to choose a movie. Or you could read a book if that's what you like to do. I'm an avid reader myself."

"Thanks, Willow," he said.

"No problem. I'm glad to help out." She finished her breakfast quickly and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower. When she came out, her hair was dry and pulled up into a ponytail, and she was wearing a blue shirt and black yoga pants.

"You look nice, Willow," Leo commented.

"Thanks. This is usually what I wear to work."

"Do you have a car that you drive?"

"No, I figured taking a car would be too much of a pain. I mostly walk unless it's snowing or too cold and then I take the bus. It's just so much easier for me." She grabbed her purse and a gym bag. "Remember, I'll be back at noon for lunch. Do you want me to bring you anything home?"

"You don't have to," he answered.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to."

"Whatever you bring will be fine."

"I have a taste for McDonald's. What do you usually get from there?"

"I'll have that new Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich," Leo responded.

"Great. I'll be sure to pick it up. See you at noon, Leo."

"Have a good day at work," he answered as he waved to her. Then he watched her leave the apartment. Now he was alone, and it was time for him to do some exploring as he'd never really had a chance to look at her apartment.

He looked in Willow's bedroom which was fairly big. The bed was a queen size with blue sheets and two pillows. She had a nightstand next to her bed that held a digital clock, a small radio, and a picture of Willow and her mom. He opened her closet and saw an array of outfits hung up neatly in rows. At the bottom were shoes arranged on a rack. Some were sneakers and others were more formal shoes, though he couldn't imagine what she would need them for. Her dresser was simple and had a few drawers. He opened the top drawer and saw socks lined up in a neat row. Another top drawer revealed undergarments, and he closed that one as quickly as he'd opened it. He certainly didn't want to be caught snooping in there!

Other drawers held more clothes, probably all of the stuff that couldn't fit in the closet. The last drawer had a box within that contained different weapons. Another box held a pair of twin katanas that were exquisitely made with roses curling on the handle above the blade. They were so beautiful that Leo wanted to touch them, but he knew that if he did, Willow probably wouldn't like it. He put them away and shut the drawer for good.

There was a guest bedroom, but it didn't have much in it. He wasn't sure why Willow would have something like that unless she entertained friends or something.

Leo went back into the living room and took note of her bookshelf and all of the titles. They ranged from fantasy novels to non-fiction works. A series of books caught his eye, and he became intrigued by one of the titles. He pulled it out and sat on the couch to read it.

In the middle of the seventh chapter, the phone rang. Leo paused, wondering if he should just let the answering machine pick it up. But what if it was Willow calling to say she was coming home early or if something had happened to her? He put the book down and picked up the phone.

"Green residence," he said.

"Is Willow there?" a woman's voice asked.

"I'm sorry she's not available at the moment. To whom am I speaking?"

"It's her friend, Cynthia," the woman answered. "I wanted to know if she caught that flu bug that's going around. It hit me, and I was sick all night."

"No, she's fine. She's at work right now."

"Oh, okay. Are you a boyfriend?"

Leo blushed at the implications the woman was making. "No, just a good friend," he answered.

"Ah, I see. Well, could you tell her I called?"

"Yes, I'll be sure to pass on the message. I hope you feel better, Cynthia."

"Thanks. I'm sure it'll go away soon. Just tell Willow I called. It was nice to hear from such a gentleman. I really hope I can meet you soon."

Leo knew that couldn't happen, but he didn't want to seem rude, so he said, "I hope I can meet you, too. Take care."

After the call was over, Leo breathed a sigh of relief. He only hoped Willow would be able to create an alibi to explain why he was there so Cynthia didn't get suspicious and try to come over. He went back to the couch and continued reading the book until Willow came home.

"Hey, Leo, how was your day?" she asked.

"Good. Cynthia called and asked about you. She's been sick and wanted to know if you were sick, too. I told her you weren't and that you were at work."

"Oh. Did she ask about you?"

"She asked if I was a boyfriend, and I told her I was just a good friend."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Typical Cynthia. She's always been a nosy one. I'm sure she'll be coming over to try and meet you."

Leo's blue eyes widened. "But she can't! I can't be seen!"

She put a hand on his shoulder. "I know that, Leo. Calm down. I'm just saying that it's inevitable that she's going to want to see you sometime. I'll make up a good story though so she doesn't have to see you. So, how did you spend your day?"

"I watched some TV and read a book." He pointed to the book on the couch.

"Ah, I see. That's a good series. Have you seen the show?"

"There's a show about it, too?"

"Yeah, though it's very different from the books. If you want, you can borrow it."

"Thanks, Willow. I'll be sure to bring it back once I'm done with it."

"Great. We'd better eat before our food gets cold." She took out his sandwich and handed it to him along with some fries and a drink. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got you a Coke. But if you don't want it, I can get you something else."

"No, that's fine. I like that drink. Mikey drinks Mountain Dew a lot, and it makes him really hyper. Raph likes Pepsi the best, and Don mostly drinks coffee."

"I see. Do you always drink pop?"

"No, I also drink tea, too. Sensei makes this really good Japanese tea."

"I'll have to try it sometime," Willow said.

"I think that would be neat. So, do you have family here?"

"Just my mom. My dad died in a car crash when I was in college."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Leo said softly.

"Thanks. He was an alcoholic and loved to drink. When he wasn't drunk, he was the greatest dad anyone could have. It was just when he got drunk that it would get bad."

"Did he ever become abusive?"

"Sometimes. He mostly hit my mom, though he hit me sometimes, too. I guess that's where I got the drive to learn martial arts. Mom wanted me to be able to defend myself against him when he got nasty."

"Did it work?"

"Yep," she replied. "Once, when I was in high school, Dad got really drunk and started tearing up the house. He hit my mom and gave her a black eye. I took one of my swords and pointed it at him before he could come at me. He seemed surprised by that and backed off after I said, 'Come one step closer, and I'll make sure your blood will be spraying on that wall.' He sat down and began to cry and say how sorry he was about what he'd done."

"Did your mom call the police?"

She shook her head. "No, she believed him and forgave him. She could never call the police on him no matter how nasty he got."

"That's awful," Leo said softly. "You don't have any siblings?"

"Nope, I'm an only child, and I'm glad of that. Could you imagine what it would be like if I had to protect a brother or sister?"

"I'm sure it would be horrible." He tried to imagine what it would be like if Splinter had ever been that way with them. He would have to protect his brothers at all costs no matter what.

"So, where's your mom now?"

"She's in an adult residency now. She suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Do you know what that is?"

"I've heard of it, but I never really could understand what it was."

"It's basically a condition that affects your brain to the point where you forget everything."

"Oh. Has your mom forgotten anything?"

She nodded. "Sometimes she'll forget who I am and thinks that Dad's alive and just not visiting her. It's hard for me to see her, but I know I have to because she's all I have left in my life. I usually visit her on Sundays."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Willow. I can't imagine what that's like for you."

"It's hard, but I get through it. Sometimes, that's all you can do."

He nodded. "I hear that. So, how was your day at work?"

"It went well so far. Edith was there, and we talked about her grandkids for a while. You'd be surprised at how fit she is."

"I bet. I'm glad you have a job you like, Willow. I bet it's very rewarding."

"It is," she replied.

Their talk turned to other things until it was time for Willow to leave again. Once she was gone, Leo settled himself on the couch and flipped through the TV channels, settling on a show about repairing homes. When he got bored with that, he flipped the channels to something else and watched a few different shows for a while. Willow came back when it got dark and smiled when she saw him.

"Did you have a good rest of the day?" she asked him.

"Yeah, it was okay. I guess I'd better get back though now that it's dark."

"Yeah, your family will be worried about you. Don't forget to take your book though."

"I won't," Leo promised. "Thanks again for letting me stay."

"You're welcome," she answered. "You're always welcome to come by, and so can your brothers if they want."

"Thanks. You can come by our Lair any time as well. I'm sure they'd love to have you."

"I'll definitely have to stop by then," Willow laughed. "Have a good night, Leo."

"You too, Willow," Leo said. He bowed to her, and she bowed back. Then he slipped out the window and made his way across the rooftops. He felt horrible for the life Willow had led, but at the same time, he admired her courage and how she continued to keep going despite all the hardships she'd endured. She was a true warrior and had a noble fighting spirit. He vowed that he would do all he could to make sure she was never alone no matter what.

A/N: And so another chapter ends. I was going to add more, but I figured this is the best place to stop it. I hope you enjoyed it. I had fun writing this chapter and Leo's experience in her apartment. The book series Leo was reading was _Pretty Little Liars._ It's a good series, and I definitely recommend it. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Mysteries of Willow

A/N: I'm back with yet another chapter. I'm having so much fun with this story and developing the characters within the story, too. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed. It means so much to me that you enjoy Willow and the story as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Cynthia Lee was the type who didn't miss or forget anything. After talking on the phone with the mysterious stranger, Cynthia began to be curious about him. Although he claimed to be a friend, Cynthia had a vague suspicion that he was lying and that there was more to his relationship with Willow. After she was done with school one day, Cynthia decided it was time to visit with her friend and see what was going on.

Willow opened the door and smiled when she saw her friend. "Hey, Cyn, what brings you here today?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," she answered. "That invasion was the scariest thing ever. I managed to hide out with a bunch of humans until it was all over. I'm not sure why they left, but I'm glad they did. Where were you?"

"I was also with some humans," Willow answered. "They were really nice."

"That's good."

Willow studied her friend. "Something tells me that you called for another reason."

Cynthia smiled. "You got me. I wanted to know more about that man who talked to me while you were at work. Who is he?"

"He's just a good friend I met," Willow answered.

"Are you in a relationship with him?"

"No, not at all. He's too young for me."

"How old is he?"

"Sixteen," she replied.

"He sounded much older than that to me," Cynthia remarked.

"Yeah, he seems old, but he's not. Still, he's a pretty nice guy."

"How did you meet?"

"We met during the invasion. He helped me find shelter."

"I see. What's his name?"

"Leonardo, though he goes by Leo for short."

"Nice name. I like it. Does he have any family?"

"Three brothers and a father but no mother."

"Does he go to school?"

"No, he's homeschooled."

"Interesting. Do you think he'll join your dojo?"

"He's taught by his father, so I don't think so. But I enjoy talking to him."

"Why was he at your apartment?"

"He wanted to walk me home, and he was so tired, so I suggested he stay with me. His dad was fine with it."

"Well, that's something I guess. Is he going to come around more often?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't know yet. We'll have to wait and see."

"Well, if he does, I want to meet him."

"Okay, but I'll have to check with him first."

"Why would you have to do that?" she asked.

"Well, he's kind of shy."

Cynthia shook her head. "He didn't seem shy to me."

"He is. But if he's up for it, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Sounds good to me."

Then their talk turned to what had been going on at school and at the dojo. Cynthia laughed when Willow told her about a student who kept getting a kata wrong but insisted that she got it right each time. In return, Cynthia told her about a student who wrote a report about his brother and how annoying he was. The assignment had been to write about a certain feeling, and so the student talked about how he hated his brother so much.

"Kids can be very interesting sometimes," Willow mused.

"And yet, we don't have any of our own," Cynthia pointed out.

"Nah, I don't see myself as a mom," Willow replied. "And I don't really want to get married either. It's just a crock of crap for the most part."

"I would if the right man came along, but it's not really a big deal to me," Cynthia said.

"At least that's something we can agree on," Willow said with a smile.

"Well, I better get going," said Cynthia. "I have papers to grade."

"Thanks for stopping by. We'll have to do lunch again sometime soon."

"Yes, we will. And you'll have to introduce me to your friend, too."

"I won't forget," promised Willow. "See you later, Cyn."

"Take care, Will," answered Cynthia as she exited the apartment.

22222

Cynthia left Willow's apartment, happy that she'd gotten some information about Willow's mystery man. Sure, he was too young for her, but he definitely sounded like a nice person, and Cynthia couldn't wait to meet him. Deciding that she didn't want to walk the long way to her apartment, Cynthia thought it would be best to take a shortcut through an alley which turned out to be a mistake. Just as she was walking through it, she ran into some Purple Dragons who were celebrating their latest robbery.

"Well, look who we have here, boys," one of them said. "You lookin' for a good time, sugar?"

"No, I'm trying to get home," Cynthia replied.

"Aw, what's the rush?" the leader asked. "We were just celebratin' our catch of the day. You can be a part of it."

"I'd rather not," Cynthia said and turned away from them, but the leader grabbed her arm in a grip she couldn't shake off.

"Now, don't be like that, cupcake," said the leader. "We wanna have some fun with you."

Cynthia was frightened, but she couldn't even muster a scream. She was certain this was going to be her last night and that she was going to die. If only she would have had Willow walk her home!

Suddenly, someone jumped down into the alley. She couldn't see his face, but he had what looked like a sword in his hand, which he pointed at the leader of the Purple Dragons.

"Let her go, Fong!" he ordered.

"Why do you always have to mess things up?" Fong complained.

"Just doing my duty as a hero," the person replied.

Cynthia started as she heard the voice. It was a voice she knew well because she'd heard it on the phone. This was Willow's friend, the guy who stayed over at her house.

Before the leader could do anything, he was yanked into the shadows. Cynthia couldn't' see what was happening, but she heard grunts and the sounds of punches before everything went silent. The other two thugs tried to help their leader, but they were dispatched as well. Cynthia waited as the person panted for breath.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Cynthia nodded. "I'm fine," she replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Would you like me to escort you home?"

"Yes, I'd like that. Could you come here so I can see you?"

He hesitated. "I'm sorry, miss, but I can't be seen."

"Why not? Are you a criminal?"

"No, of course not! It's just something that has to be kept secret."

"You were the one at Willow's apartment when I called," she noted.

"Yes. She's a friend of mine. And you must be Cynthia."

"I am. And you must be Leonardo."

"I see Willow's told you about me, hasn't she?"

"Just a bit. I'd really like to see you."

"I'm sorry, but it's best if you don't see me."

Cynthia was getting frustrated. "Young man, come out and show me what you look like," she ordered in her best teacher voice. It was the tone she used when a student disobeyed her, and it usually worked.

Leonardo sighed. "Okay, I'll show you, but you have to promise not to scream, okay?"

"I promise," she said.

He slowly stepped out of the shadows, and she could see why he was so reluctant to be seen. Standing before her was not a human, but an animal of some sort. He was green with a yellow stomach and had a blue mask around his face, concealing his blue eyes.

"Turn around so I can see you properly, please," she said.

He complied, and she soon saw that he had a turtle shell.

"No wonder you don't want to be seen!" she said. "But you shouldn't be ashamed of your appearance, young man."

"I know, but I have to keep it a secret. There are many humans who wouldn't understand about me and who would probably try to hurt me."

"I understand, Leonardo. I promise I won't tell anyone about you."

"Thank you," he said. "That means a lot. Do you still want me to escort you home?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'd like that very much."

"Okay, but I'll have to go by the rooftops."

"That's fine. I'll feel safe knowing you're near me."

He went up the side of a building and was on the roof in seconds. Cynthia nodded quickly to him and resumed the walk to her apartment. She didn't look up because she didn't want people to wonder what she was looking at, but she knew Leonardo was there and keeping watch over her. She arrived at her apartment without incident. Leonardo met her in the alley close to the building.

"Okay, I'm going to leave you here. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine," she reassured him. "Thanks for walking me home."

"You're welcome. It was nice to meet you, Cynthia."

"Likewise, Leonardo."

"Please, you can call me Leo. Only my dad calls me Leonardo."

"Leo it is then. Have a safe trip home."

"I will. Thank you." He waved to her and then scaled her building. She watched as he leapt from her building to the next one and did the same again until he was out of sight.

With a smile, Cynthia went to her apartment and started grading papers. She was glad that she'd finally met Willow's friend. He was such a nice boy, and it was a shame that he couldn't be seen. After she finished grading papers, Cynthia watched the news and then went to bed. She hoped that she'd get to see Willow's friend again and wondered if she'd get to see his other brothers as well. With that last thought in her head, Cynthia drifted off to sleep.

A/N: And so ends another chapter. So now Cynthia has met Leo and the secret's out. Will she meet the other Turtles? Will her meeting with Leonardo have consequences for her later? You'll have to read on to find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Night Owls

A/N: So excited to be posting another chapter for this story. I really like where it's going and the reception it's getting. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me. I hope that you continue to enjoy this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Willow sighed as she opened her door and entered her apartment. It had been a long day filled with things that went wrong. Billy forgot to do a kata, Jack had a hard time distinguishing which foot to use, Danny threw up on the floor because he was sick and had no business being there, and Maisie had accidentally kicked Willow in the leg. She rubbed her hand over the bruise. Yep, that was going to be there for a while.

She took a shower and then started to think about what to make for dinner. A tap on her window startled her, and she looked over to see Leo smiling at her. She hurried to the window and let him in.

"Hey, Leo, what brings you here?" she asked.

"I just wanted to see how your day went," he answered.

"Not good," she said and told him exactly what had happened to her.

He gave her a gentle hug. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "What were your plans for tonight?"

"Oh, the usual. Just stay at home and watch TV while eating a frozen dinner."

He smiled at her. "How would you like to go on patrol with us?"

"Do you think that's allowed?"

"Sure it is. I'm the leader so I can decide whether you come with us. You've never really seen us patrol before, so I thought it would be cool for you to check it out. Have you ever been out at night?"

She nodded. "Yeah, sometimes when I've been bored. I'm surprised I never saw you guys."

"You probably did but thought you were imagining things. It's a natural reaction I suppose."

"Maybe. I'll definitely come with you though. Let me get my stuff."

She hurried to her room and gathered her twin katanas. She strapped them to her body and then grabbed her special belt filled with different pockets for weapons. She filled them with the appropriate weapons and smiled. She was ready to go.

Leo smiled as he saw her come out. "You look like a ninja," he commented. "Though I think most of them would have a certain uniform."

"Hey, this works for me," she said. "Unless you want me in my pajamas with the unicorns on them."

"No, this will work," he answered. "We're meeting my brothers by the water tower."

"Do you think they'll welcome me?"

"I'm sure they will, and if they don't, you can put them in their place. You ARE older than them after all."

"Yes, that's right. Let's do this."

She followed him to the water tower where his brothers were waiting for him. Mikey's eyes lit up when he was she was there.

"Willow's coming with us?" he asked.

"Yep. I invited her here. I wanted her to see what we do at night."

"I wasn't aware we were accepting new recruits into the clan," Raph remarked.

"No offense, but I have no intention of joining your clan," Willow replied. "I just want to see what you guys do, and I didn't want to be alone."

Raph rolled his eyes but said nothing more. It was clear he didn't trust her, but that didn't bother her as much as it should have. She could understand why he would feel that way and hoped that in time, he would earn her trust.

"Okay, here's how it's going to be," Leo instructed. "Mikey, you take the west side of the city. Donnie, you take east. Raph, take south. Willow and I will take the north side."

"That's not fair!" Raph yelled. "Why do you get to have a partner while the rest of us are alone?"

"Because I said so," answered Leo.

"I don't mind pairing with Leo," said Willow. "But if you want to pair with me, Raph, I'm fine with it if Leo is."

"Is that what you want, Raph?"

Raph wrinkled his beak. "No thanks. I'll pass on that."

"Then it's settled. Willow and I will take the north side. We'll meet back here in a few hours."

"Have fun, Willow," Mikey said with a wave as he took off in his designated direction.

"Call us if you have any trouble," Donnie warned his brother.

"Yeah, you do the same," Leo said. "Good luck." He motioned for Willow to follow him, and they took off across the rooftops.

Willow marveled at his skill, and she smiled as he couldn't resist showing off with a few flips as he leapt off of the rooftops. She wasn't brave enough to try anything like that so she just played it safe for the most part. At first, things were quiet between them as they patrolled the streets.

"Is Raph always like that?" she asked him.

"Yeah, Raph has a lot of trust issues," he answered. "He's never been the type to really like humans."

"But you're friends with April and Casey," she pointed out. "Did he have a hard time accepting them?"

"He was wary of April at first, but he took to Casey right away. I think it's because he saw that Casey had temper issues like his, so he kind of found a kindred spirit in him."

"I can see that. So Raph has a temper?"

"Yeah, though he's gotten better with it. Sometimes it'll flare up if he gets really mad though."

"Do you think he'll ever trust me?"

"I'm sure once he gets to know you, he'll be fine with you," Leo reassured her. "It's just going to take time. And in the meantime, at least you have me, Mikey, Donnie, and Splinter to talk to."

She smiled. "I guess I can live with that."

He was about to say something else when a commotion caught their attention. They hurried toward the sound of breaking glass and saw the Purple Dragons robbing yet another jewelry store. Leo growled and was ready to leap into action when Willow put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me do this one," she said.

"Are you sure? I don't think those guys will go easy on you."

She smiled at him. "I'm positive. They won't suspect how good I am, and they already know you."

"Good thinking," he said. "Okay, go ahead. I've got your back in case they try anything."

"Thanks, Leo." She leaped down and cleared her throat to get their attention.

Fong smirked. "Aw, look, boys. Some girl's tryin' to play ninja."

Sid laughed. "Get lost, girlie. Go back to the kitchen where you belong. Fighting's not for you."

Willow smirked. "That's funny because I don't think robbing things is for you either. Get back to high school, boys."

"Did you just hear this bitch?" Fong asked. "She thinks we still go to school. Sorry, sweetheart, but we left school a long time ago."

"That's a shame because I'm about to teach you a lesson," she said.

"Oh, and what's that?" Fong asked.

Willow roundhouse kicked him to the ground. Fong growled and ordered Tsoi and Sid to get her. Tsoi came at her, but Willow dodged his attack and flipped him over her shoulder. Sid was ready and charged at her, but she dodged him too. She unsheathed her katana and parried the pipe that was about to come down on her head, courtesy of Fong. With a flick of her wrist, she disarmed him and flipped him over. She pinned him down and pointed her sword at her throat.

"The lesson here is never to underestimate a woman," she lectured. "I may be small, but I'm a trained martial artist, and the sooner you respect that, the better. Game's over, boys. Go home."

"Willow, look out!" Leo yelled.

Willow had no time to react to the pipe swinging for her head. Leo jumped down and tackled Sid before he could hit her and knock her out. Together, the two of them dispatched of the Dragons and tied them up. Willow called the police and gave them their location. Then she and Leo waited on the rooftops until the sound of the sirens heralded the police's arrival.

"Nice job, Willow," Leo congratulated her. "I had no idea you were that skilled."

Willow wanted to take offense at the remark, but then remembered that Leo hadn't seen her in action before. "Yep, I've been training since I was five. At first it was just for fun because Dad thought it would be cool for me to be a fighter, but then it became about survival after he started drinking and hitting me and my mom."

"I'm glad you're a good fighter. People should watch out for you."

She nodded. "Yes, they should. Maybe one day I can come to the Lair and join you and your brothers for practice."

"We'd love to have you there, and I'm sure Splinter would be okay with it."

"Great. You up for more action?"

He smiled at her. "I'm always up for some action."

22222

 _The rest of the night went great. We foiled five muggings and even broke up a drug deal. Leo thought it was a great strategy to send me in first because they wouldn't be expecting a woman to be a fighter. Boy, did they get a surprise when they saw me! We were a good team, and I was going to have fun doing this more and more. Leo said I could come any time I wanted, and I took him up on that offer. After we told the others what we did, they were pretty impressed, though Raph didn't act like it at first._

 _I know it's going to be a hard battle to get Raph to trust me, but I know that one day, I'll get him to really see me and know that I'm a good fighter and a loyal friend. Maybe I'll challenge him to a match. I'd love to see the look on his face when I beat him! I know I'll have fun with that. But for now, I'd better put some ice on my leg and get some sleep. Tomorrow's another long day for me, but I know I'll get through it like I always do._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter is done. This chapter takes place before my one shot "Assumptions" which is why Willow mentions possibly challenging Raph to a match and hopefully beating him. If you haven't read that one shot yet, feel free to do so. And feel free to leave a review on this chapter and have a shelltastic day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Donations

A/N: So here's another chapter in this tale. Sorry it's been delayed, but I've been working on one shots for this series and will be posting more as they come to me. I did get inspiration for this chapter, so now I'm posting it. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

"Why are we doing this again?" Cynthia groaned as she pulled the little wagon filled with groceries. Behind her, Willow was pulling another one.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Willow answered. "Besides, it's not like the Mutanimals and the Turtles can go out and get groceries every day."

"Are the Mutanimals the mutants you stayed with?" Cynthia asked her.

She nodded. "Yep, and I'm doing this to thank them for taking me in."

"Why can't Jack get them groceries?"

"Because he's busy with research, and he has to keep a low profile sometimes. I don't mind doing this. I think it's a nice thing to do."

"I just don't see why we can't do this during the day," Cynthia complained. "You know I hate going out at night sometimes."

Willow leveled her with a stern look. "You know what people would say if they saw us going into a warehouse that's supposed to be abandoned during the day. Stop complaining and be thankful that you're not only going to meet the mutants who took care of me but Leo's brothers as well."

Cynthia sighed but said nothing more after that. They arrived at the warehouse, and Willow knocked on the door. Cynthia heard footsteps and the door opened to reveal a huge mutant turtle. He was even bigger than Leo and looked like he could take them both down with a swipe of his hand if he wanted to.

"Hi, Slash, I brought some groceries for you," Willow said. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Slash replied. "We were just talkin' about how we were runnin' low on supplies. Thanks. Who's your friend?"

"Slash, this is Cynthia Lee, my best friend. Cynthia, this is Slash, the leader of the Mighty Mutanimals."

"Nice to meet you," Cynthia said, trying not to let her voice waver.

"The pleasure's all mine," Slash said amiably. "Please, come in."

Willow then introduced Cynthia to an alligator named Leatherhead, a monkey named Rockwell, and a pigeon named Pete. She said hello to all of them and marveled at the home they'd made in the warehouse. She tried to picture her friend staying here during all of those days and felt more respect for her and the mutants who had taken care of her.

"Where's Jack?" Willow asked Slash.

"Off on some assignment," he answered. "He should be back in a few days. I'll be sure to tell him you stopped by."

"So, were all of you mutated by the Kraang?" Cynthia asked them.

"Well, I was mutated by the mutagen, but that was my fault," Slash told her. "I got into it because I was curious. My owner, Raphael, left it, and the container dropped. So I went to look at it and drank it, resulting in my mutation. I wasn't the most stable turtle at first and I even went after Raph's brothers. But things are good between us now, and I've got more control over myself."

"Is Raph one of Leo's brothers?"

"Yep. He's the one who rescued me and gave me a home, though he called me Spike at first. I didn't really like that name, so when I mutated, I named myself Slash because it sounded better."

"Does he still call you Spike?"

"Sometimes, but he's gotten better at calling me Slash. Honestly, I don't mind anymore if he calls me Spike. It's not really a big deal as it was back then."

"I was mutated by my former partner Dr. Victor Falco," Rockwell explained. "He hated me and wanted to create a mind control with the mutagen. I don't know what happened to him, but the Turtles were the ones who saved me. Then I found Slash and stayed with him."

"I was originally a pigeon before the Kraang kidnapped me and mutated me," Pete spoke up. "I was the one who sent April the message about her dad to the Turtles."

"And I was a pet before I was flushed away and kidnapped by the Kraang," Leatherhead said. "I escaped from them and met Leonardo's brother, Michelangelo, who took pity on me and tried to help me overcome my anger. It has been an uphill battle, but I have done much better with controlling my temper. I owe much to Slash for letting me join his team and to the Turtles for helping me in my time of need."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I'm glad it all worked out for you," Cynthia said. "My mom always said that every dark cloud has a silver lining, and it looks like all of you have found your silver lining."

"Yeah, we have," Slash agreed. "And we're happy to have known Willow and to meet you as well. Have you always been friends?"

"Yep. I've known Cyn since we were in kindergarten together. I was a smart ass kid who always thought she knew more than she did, and Cyn was the level headed kid who tried to keep me in line."

Cynthia laughed. "Yep. I had to keep you and Gina in line many times."

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Rockwell offered.

"Thanks for the offer, but we can't. We have to get groceries to the Turtles, too. Cyn's been dying to meet the other brothers and to see what they're like."

"Maybe we can come another time," Cynthia suggested.

"That would be great," Slash said. "It was nice meeting you, Cynthia, and thanks for the food."

"It was nice meeting all of you as well," Cynthia replied. "I want to thank you for taking care of my friend and making sure she was safe."

"No problem," said Slash. "See you gals around."

"See you later," replied Willow.

22222

"Well, that was a nice chat," commented Cynthia.

"I'm glad you liked it," said Willow. "Now we have to see the Turtles and Splinter."

They arrived at the Lair in record time, and Cynthia was amazed at the size of it. The Turtles were waiting in the living area as the women entered the Lair.

"Hey, Willow!" the orange masked one greeted her. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Cynthia Lee," Willow replied. "Cynthia, you already know Leo. These are his brothers. The one in orange is Michelangelo, called Mikey for short, the one in purple is Donatello or Donnie, and the one in red is Raphael or Raph."

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Lee," Don said offering his hand.

"Thank you," Cynthia said as she shook the Turtle's proffered hand.

"Ah, I see we have guests," a voice with a Japanese accent said. Cynthia blanched as a rat made his way into the room. He was wearing a kimono and looked be at least six feet tall.

"You must be the Turtles' father," Cynthia said.

He nodded. "Yes, I am Hamato Yoshi, but you may call me Splinter. And you must be Miss Cynthia Lee."

"Yes I am. Willow has told you a lot about me I see."

Splinter chuckled. "She has, though I assure you it has all been good things."

"I brought groceries for you guys," Willow said as she motioned to the wagon full of bags.

Mikey immediately ran to the bags and began sorting through them. "Oooh, did you get me some cookies?" he asked eagerly.

Willow laughed. "Yes, we did, but you can't have any until after dinner, Mikey. Those are the rules."

"We even gave some food to the Mutanimals, too," Cynthia said. "That's why we're kind of late."

"I'm glad to hear that," Raph said. "They barely get food over there."

"You ladies are welcome to stay for dinner," Splinter offered.

"Yeah, please stay," Mikey begged. "We can order pizza and make it a party. We have to thank you somehow."

"I think we can arrange that," Willow replied. "What do you say, Cyn?"

"I say that sounds great. I'm hungry anyway."

"Sweet!" yelled Mikey. "I'll make the call! What do you guys like on your pizza?"

"I like the Meat Lover's," Willow answered.

"Same here or just cheese," Cynthia added.

Mikey made the call and then went to the grate where the pizza delivery boy usually gave him the pizzas. Once they arrived, everyone gathered to eat them. Cynthia asked the Turtles different questions about their lives, and they answered them promptly. Splinter told the story about what had happened to him and how Fate had intervened to bring him four wonderful sons. Cynthia talked about being a teacher and how sometimes her students made her laugh. Willow regaled them with funny dojo stories, which led Splinter to recount some of his own memories from his youth and when the Turtles were younger.

"Oh, I remember when Mikey puked on the mat," Raph said. "That was brutal."

"That's because he ate all those cookies and he wasn't supposed to," Leo added, giving his younger brother a stern glare.

"Hey, I like cookies, and I couldn't wait until dessert," Mikey answered.

Willow and Cynthia stayed for a bit longer before they headed home. They promised to come back soon and spend time with the Hamato family.

"You are always welcome here at any time," Splinter told them. "Perhaps we could spend Thanksgiving together."

"We'd love that," Willow said.

"I'll have to spend the day with my sister, but I could always come by at night," Cynthia said.

"That would be fine as that's when we will eat," Splinter said. "Have a good rest of your evening, ladies."

"Thanks, Master Splinter," Willow said. "You have a good night, too."

22222

"So, what did you think of the Turtles and Splinter?" Willow asked her friend.

"I thought they were great," Cynthia replied. "And I noticed something, too."

"What's that?"

"Splinter kept looking at you. I think he likes you."

"I don't think it's anything like that," Willow denied. "He's just happy that they've made two good friends."

"Well, I think he likes you. I could just tell by the way he looked at you."

"I think you're seeing things," Willow said.

Cynthia said no more on the subject, but she could tell that it was true. She just hoped that in time Willow would return the feeling because they both deserved some happiness. She let Willow walk her home and settled down to sleep. She was glad she had met the other mutants and thought it would be a good thing to be friends with them because they were nice.

22222

 _Cynthia is wrong. I don't think Splinter has feelings for me. He's just happy that he and his sons have more good human friends who don't flinch at the sight of them. And besides, he's a mutant and I'm a human. How could that even work? Granted, if he DID like me, I'd do my best to return the feelings, but it's not like that. He likes me as just a friend and nothing more. Plain and simple._

 _At least Raph wasn't hostile to Cyn today. I was worried he would be, but he acted like a gentleman. Then again, I think that was because Splinter was there, and he knew he had better treat the guests with respect in front of his father. Either way, I'm glad Cyn knows both the Mutaimals and the Turtles. Now there won't be any secrets between us, and that's the most important thing about having a friendship._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter is done! Now Cynthia knows all of Willow's mutant friends and that's a very important thing. Does Spinter like Willow as more than a friend? Will Willow see Splinter as more than a friend in the future, or will she deny that part of her and just keep trying to be friends with him? You'll have to read on to find out. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Captain Leo

A/N: I'm back with yet another chapter. Did I mention how much I love writing this series? Okay, I'm going to mention it again. And thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it. I'm so excited to be bringing you another chapter.

Guest: Yep, you guessed it. The OCs are an homage to two of my favorite fan fiction authors, GreenWillow and Cynlee. To all of my readers, if you haven't read their work, you should check it out, though sadly GreenWillow's site is down, so you can't really check out her stuff yet unless she posts it on Stealthy Stories. She does have two chapters of a story called Sunni on FF though, so you can look at those. And Cynlee has her stuff on FF, too, so you should definitely check that out. Anyway, Guest, thanks for reading and reviewing this story and Choices. I agree with you on Choices that April needed someone to talk to her about her feelings, so that's why I had Willow do it. Feel free to check out my other stuff, too, if you want.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Leo's feet pounded on the rooftops as he headed to Willow's dojo. She had invited him for a sparring session, and he had taken the offer right away. After everything that had happened to his family, he really needed something to distract himself. He had asked Splinter, and his father had given him permission to go. That made Leo feel better, too.

He arrived at the dojo promptly and saw Willow waiting for him. She smiled as he came in.

"Hey, Leo, how are things?" she asked.

"Not good," he answered. He told her about how Karai had tried to kill his family and how he had managed to save them with just pure luck and had almost died himself. And the worst part was that he hadn't been able to save Karai from Shredder's control.

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Willow softly. "No wonder you want to spar with me."

"I figured maybe it would help me forget about what happened," he answered.

She smiled. "Well, I'm sure it will." She unsheathed her katana and struck a pose. "Prepare to meet your match, Captain Leo."

Leo unsheathed his swords and struck a heroic pose he'd seen Captain Ryan do on _Space Heroes_. "You will not defeat me for by the power of Nebulon I will defeat you," he declared in a very good imitation of Captain Ryan.

"Man, he really needed to learn more heroic speeches," Willow commented.

"Yeah, they were lame sometimes, but he tried," Leo agreed. "Let's do this."

Willow nodded and came at Leo, her swords poised. Leo dodged her attack and parried with one of his own which she barely blocked. Their dance continued with both of them being evenly matched.

As Leo sparred with her, he began to feel something in the pit of his stomach. He thought it was due to the adrenaline of sparring with an opponent, but as the match continued, Leo figured out it was more than that. It was the same feeling he often had when he was sparring with Karai.

Karai.

No, he couldn't think about her like that now. She was once again his enemy and a deadly one at that. She had almost killed him and his family. How could he still have feelings for her now?

His eyes strayed to the woman he was battling.

Maybe he didn't have to worry about it anymore. Maybe he could distract himself with someone else.

His thoughts were interrupted as Willow took him down and pinned him to the mat, her sword at his throat. Dammit! He'd been distracted!

"Never lose focus, Leo," she chastised.

"Sorry," he apologized.

She lifted herself off of him and helped him up. "What were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about Karai," he answered.

"You really like her, don't you?"

"How do you know?"

"I can tell by the way you talk about her. Is she your first crush?"

He nodded. "My family was less than pleased about it because she worked for the Foot at the time. But after hearing that she was Splinter's daughter, things changed. Shredder has her under his control, and I just can't help but think that I could have saved her with that mantra."

Willow put her arm around him. "It's not your fault, Leo," she said firmly. "You did all you could to save her. There will come a time where she'll be saved and can join you and your family at her rightful place."

"But what if we can't save her?" he asked. His blue eyes were filled with pain at the very thought of it.

"You will because you are all warriors, and you'll fight to save your family," she answered. "And if you need my help, I'll be willing to help you."

"Thanks, Willow," he said softly. "I'm so glad to have you as a friend."

"Same here, Leo," she replied. "Now, let's go to my place for a bit."

They headed to her apartment, and Leo let her use the shower first. When it was his turn, he lingered under the water, his thoughts going a mile a minute. He knew Willow was right and that they would save Karai, but at what cost? And would it be as easy as she believed it would be? Even if they did save her, would they be able to continue their relationship as they had before, or would it be taboo and forbidden by Splinter? These were the things he couldn't handle. Then his thoughts focused on Willow again. She was definitely a lot like Karai. Maybe he could focus his attention on her. Sure, she was older, but it wasn't as though he was human or her official student. Maybe it could work out.

When he was done, they sat together and watched some television. He thought about putting his arm around her but thought that would be too fast. He couldn't let things get that way. She probably didn't feel the same way about him. No, he would have to take it slow and then gradually build up to something. That was the way it had to be.

"I'm really glad I came by, Willow," he said.

"I'm glad you came, too, Leo," she said.

"You look nice today."

"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself. Just remember not to get distracted."

"I know. I won't. How was your day?"

"Pretty good. I had a lot of fun with the kids today though there were two fights."

"That sucks. Did they get resolved?"

"Yes, they did," she answered. "I just don't know what to do with Brad sometimes. He can be such a pain."

"Do you make them do flips?"

"Sometimes I do. I'll sometimes stand them in a corner for a few minutes, too."

"Maybe you could make them balance on something and have them hold the pose as punishment. Sensei's done that to us."

"I don't know if that would be a good idea, but I could try it," she mused.

Leo smiled, happy that she'd latched on to his idea. "I like this show."

"Me too," she said. "It's pretty funny when the drunks act like idiots."

"Or when the guys who have drugs keep claiming they don't have anything when it's clear that they do. It's just so hilarious."

"Yeah, especially when it's there right in front of them and they say that they don't know how the drugs got there."

"I remember this one episode where the cops went to a bar and the guy was snorting cocaine right on the urinal in the bathroom. The cop asked him how the drugs got there, and the guy accused the cop of planting it in his pocket."

"I remember that one. That was hilarious! One of my favorites is when the cops stopped this guy and kept asking him his date of birth and he kept saying it was Eugene when that was his name. They had to ask him a few times before he told them what it was."

"I think I remember that one, too," Leo said. "Sometimes drunk people are hilarious."

"You got that right," she agreed.

After a few more episodes, Leo felt it was time to go home before Splinter got worried. "I had a good time today, Willow," he said.

"I did, too, Captain," she replied. "Be safe. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you later," he answered. He had an overwhelming urge to kiss her on those beautiful lips, but he held himself back again. He couldn't risk driving her away. He had to take this slowly. He waved to her and left for home. He was so glad he'd stopped by because all thoughts of what had happened were gone now.

He entered the Lair and saw that Splinter was waiting for him.

"Did you enjoy your evening with Willow, my son?" he asked him.

"Hai, Sensei. It was fun." He yawned. "But now I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, Master Splinter."

"Goodnight, Leonardo," Splinter replied.

Leo hurried to his room and smiled as he flopped down on his bed. He began to think more about Willow. How her brown hair moved around her when she sparred, how her legs looked so toned from working out, how her lips were so beautiful, and how her eyes sparkled when she laughed. It didn't matter that she was older than him. He knew she was the right one and that he couldn't hope to be with Karai anymore. That ship had sailed.

Besides, a forbidden relationship had worked out for Captain Ryan. Maybe it could work out for him, too. With that last thought in his head, Leo fell asleep, dreaming about Willow.

22222

 _Something seemed off about Leo tonight. I don't know what it was, but he was distracted during our session which isn't like him. Maybe it had to do with what happened to him at the hands of Karai. It pains me to see Leo hurt like that. How can this happen to him? I hope they can get through to Karai soon, and if they need my help, I'm going to do all I can to make sure she comes back to them. I just don't want Leo to be hurt anymore. I know he cares for Karai, and I'd love to see him be happy with her. He deserves that._

 _At least tomorrow is Friday. That means only a short work day on Saturday and I'm off on Sunday. After I visit with Mom on Sunday I think I'll visit the Turtles. Maybe we can have a movie night or something. I think they'll like that._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: Ah, our Leo is sailing in some dangerous waters! As for where this will lead him, that'll be answered in a one shot I just finished writing. I think I'll post it up after I post this chapter so you can see where things will go from there. The show they were watching is Cops. I love that show a lot and watch it whenever I can because it's awesome. And those two incidents really did happen on Cops, too. The one about the guy who said his date of birth was Eugene has always been one of my favorite moments! Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Balance

A/N: Sorry for the delay in this chapter. Kind of hit a wall of writer's block, but it happens. So now this story can continue. This chapter takes place directly after "Hot for Teacher" so if you're confused, please read that one shot first, though this will have references to it. I want to thank all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you like this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Willow took a deep breath as she balanced on the pole with one leg up. This exercise wasn't easy, but she wanted to challenge her students and help them develop new skills.

 _Close your eyes, Willow. Breathe in….breathe out._

The image of Leo's face materialized in her vision. He was coming closer to her until his lips touched hers. No! She couldn't let that happen! It wasn't right!

She felt herself falling and didn't get a chance to right herself before she landed butt first on the mat.

Her students hurried to her side.

"Are you okay, Sensei Willow?" Audrey asked her.

She opened her eyes and looked around at all of the students staring at her. How could this have happened? She was usually very good at doing stuff like this.

"I'm fine," she answered. "Just a small mistake. Remember not to be distracted by anything as you balance. Concentrate on your form."

"What were you distracted about?" Billy asked her.

"Oh, just mundane stuff," she answered. There was no way she was going to tell her students about what happened between her and Leo. No one else would know about that as long as she lived! "Okay, Audrey, you're up."

Willow watched as one by one her students balanced on the pole. She'd gotten inspiration for the exercise from Splinter as she devised ways to challenge her students so they weren't bored all of the time by doing the same routine. She smiled as each of her students excelled at the exercise. There were a few mistakes, but everything else went off without a hitch. She led them through a cool down exercise and a brief meditation session before dismissing them.

"Sensei Willow?"

She turned to see Audrey staring at her. Audrey was one of her best students and often wanted to talk to Willow about certain things.

"What's up, Audrey?" Willow asked. "You did well today."

"I know. I was just wondering what you were distracted about."

"It wasn't anything, Audrey. Just some stupid stuff."

Audrey gave her a knowing look. "It's about a guy, isn't it?" she asked.

Willow was shocked. How could she have picked up on that?

"No, of course not!" she protested. "I was thinking about my mother. I've told you about her before."

"Yeah, but I don't think that's it," Audrey said. "I think you were distracted about a guy. If you want to tell me about it, you can. I won't tell anyone else."

"Thanks for the offer, kiddo, but I'm fine," she reassured her student. "You'd better run on home so you're not late."

Audrey nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later, Sensei Willow."

Willow watched her go, marveling at how astute Audrey was. She was surprised none of the other students had caught on to her distracted state. Shaking her head, Willow cleaned up the dojo before locking up for the night. She went back to her apartment, deciding a night in would be perfect. She didn't want to go to the Lair tonight. She didn't want to have to face him or Splinter after what had happened.

Just as she was settling down to watch TV, she heard a knock on her window. Her heart leapt in her throat as she caught sight of a familiar silhouette in the window. She braced herself and breathed a sigh of relief when Raph entered her apartment.

"Hey, Willow, what's up?" he asked.

"What are you doing here, Raph?" she demanded.

"I came to check on you," he answered. "You usually come to the Lair after work, and when you didn't show up, I got worried, so I came here. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered stiffly. "Did Leo send you here?"

He shook his head. "No, I came on my own."

"Well, you see I'm okay. Now, get out of here and go home."

"Why should I have to go? You look upset, so I wanna hang out with you. We can do that, right?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Raph. You know what would happen if your family found out you were here. They might get ideas that we're involved or something."

Raph rolled his eyes. "No offense, Willow, but you're the last human I'd wanna be with," he said. "Even I know you're too old for me, and I don't have a puppy dog crush on you like Leo does. Or like Leo did anyway. Seems kinda weird when he had the hots for Karai."

"She's your sister though, right?" Willow asked him.

"Yeah, but we weren't raised together or anything," he said. "I don't know if we'll ever get her back, but I'm surprised Leo just dropped that whole crush on her for you."

"Why's that?" she spat. "I'm not pretty enough?"

"No, but he should have at least seen that you were too old for him."

"I think he knew that, Raph. It didn't matter to him. Sometimes love makes you do stupid things."

"Tell me about it," he muttered. "It's bad enough Donnie moons over April."

"That's different though."

"How so? He's a mutant and she's a human."

"But they're only a year apart in age," she pointed out. "How can that be so wrong?"

"Because it's just not the way things are for us," he answered. "We're freaks of nature, destined to be alone for the rest of our lives."

"And yet, you're fine with Leo having the hots for Karai and not me."

"I didn't say I was okay with it. I was just surprised he dropped it for you."

She smiled. "Methinks the Turtle doth protest too much," she teased.

"Whatever. Are you comin' to the Lair or not?"

Willow shook her head. "No, I think it's best if I don't go there anymore. I know Splinter didn't forbid me from coming, but I just think that due to the circumstances, I should just have a clean break with all of you."

"You really think we want that?" Raph demanded.

"Why not? You don't like me anyway."

"I never said that," replied Raph. "Sure, I didn't trust you at first, but I'm fine with you now. I just don't like what happened with Leo."

"And you think that's my fault? He's the one who kissed me."

"Yeah, but did you resist right away?"

She sighed. "No, I didn't. I actually liked the kiss, but I knew it was wrong, so I pushed him away."

"So that means you like him, too."

"No, I don't!" she protested. "He's like my son!"

"Hey, I can see why you would. Leo's got that charm to him. And there are plenty of women your age who are into younger men. I'm not sayin' it's right, but I can definitely understand it."

"It's not like that, Raph, so don't act like it is!" she said hotly. "I don't like Leo in that way! Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I get it," he said. "You know, if you do have the hots for a mutant turtle, I could always hook you up with Slash if you want."

She gaped at him. Was he serious? Was he seriously going to set her up with the leader of the Mighty Mutanimals?

"Sorry, but Slash isn't my type," she answered.

"Okay, then who is?"

"Nobody. I'd rather be alone for the rest of my life. I'm not interested in dating or anything like that."

Raph shrugged. "Okay, but if you change your mind, I can help you with that."

"Are you done now?"

"Only if you come to the Lair with me."

"I already said I wasn't coming. I'm not in the mood for it."

"Fine. Be that way. But I'm gonna keep checkin' on you until you change your mind." With a wave, he leaped out of the window and headed back to the Lair.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Willow fumed. How dare Raph intrude on her privacy? How dare he make assumptions about her love life? Why would he care anyway? He was just a lonely mutant Turtle with no future prospects of his own. What he needed to do was stay out of her life and leave her alone. With a sigh, she turned off the TV and headed to bed. She didn't even open up her journal to write like she normally did. There were no words that could express how she felt at that moment.

22222

The next day was pretty much the same. Once again, Raph came for her, and Willow resigned herself to the fact that he wasn't going to give up on her and would continue to pester her until she gave in. She got ready and headed out with Raph to go see the others.

When she arrived, she was greeted by a massive hug from Mikey. She gasped as the Turtle's arms encircled her in a viselike grip.

"Willow!" he yelled. "I'm so glad you could make it, dudette. Where have you been?"

"I just needed some time to think," she replied.

"Well, you're just in time for some practice," Mikey said. "Wanna join us?"

"If you don't mind," she answered.

"We would be delighted to have you join us, Willow," Splinter said graciously.

She smiled as she heard his words and her heart filled with joy at the sound of his voice. She had missed talking to him. He was such a soothing presence in her life.

Willow sat on the sidelines as the Turtles practiced. She could tell Leo was a bit distracted, but he did his best to ignore her and focus on his match with Donnie. As it turned out, Leo won his match and so did Mikey, leaving the two of them together for sparring in the final match. The match was good, and in the end, Leo was beaten by Mikey.

"Gotta keep your focus, bro," Mikey teased as he gave his brother a pat on the shell.

"Well done, my sons," Splinter praised them. "You did well today. Tomorrow, we will work on balancing exercises."

"But, Sensei, we already know those!" Raph complained.

"Yes, but it is always good to keep practicing, Raphael," Splinter replied. "And Willow will also be participating as well."

"Are you sure?" Willow asked him.

"Yes, I think it will be good for you to show the boys what you can do. Is that all right?"

"Yes, Master Splinter. I'd be honored to join your sons. Perhaps I can teach them a thing or two."

"Very good. Boys, you are dismissed. Willow, would you care to join me for tea?"

She nodded and followed Splinter into his chambers. She sighed in ecstasy as the smell of incense wafted around her. She sat on the familiar mat, feeling the fabric settle into her. She smiled as she watched Splinter pour the cup of tea, his hands always so sure as he performed this ritual and handed her a cup. The steam swirled upward as she took the warm cup into her hands, making sure it didn't burn her.

"I am glad to see you return, Willow," Splinter said. "Your absence was felt here deeply."

"I know, Master Splinter, but I had to do it," she answered. "I just felt like I had to distance myself from Leo for a bit because of what happened."

"And yet I distinctly remember telling you that you were welcome here at any time," he reminded her.

She hung her head, remembering those kind words. Yes, he had told her that without condemnation despite what had happened between her and his oldest son. He hadn't scolded her or acted like he hated her. He had accepted her story without question and had acted as though they were still friends.

But despite his kindness to her, she felt like she didn't deserve it. Even though what had happened between her and Leo wasn't entirely her fault, she still felt as though she needed to be punished for it. After all, she was the one who hadn't resisted at first when he'd kissed her. Just thinking of that put her in a tailspin she had to quell.

"Are you all right, Willow?" Splinter asked her, a concerned look in his amber eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered.

"What are you thinking of?"

"I'm thinking about how I feel I don't deserve your kindness after what happened. That's the reason I didn't come back here. I felt I needed to punish myself for what happened between me and your son."

"I see. Do you still feel that way now?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I want to still come here, but I don't want any family turmoil because of it. Leo was distracted today during practice. I don't want that to happen again because of me."

"I am sure Leonardo will be fine," Splinter reassured her. "Balance is essential in all things, and I think Leonardo can achieve the balance he needs concerning you. I am sure you can do that as well."

"I'm not so sure about that," she said truthfully.

"What do you mean?"

"I got distracted during class today," she confessed. "I was thinking about what happened with me and Leo, and I fell off the pole. My students were worried about me, but I tried to play it off. But then Audrey, one of my students, guessed that I was distracted about a guy."

"Did you tell her the truth?"

"No, I told her I was worried about my mother."

Splinter nodded in understanding. "I can see why you would feel that way, Willow. I know that what happened has affected you just as much as it affected my son. However, you both must learn to move on from that mistake and learn from it."

"But how can I move on from it if I keep thinking about it every time I close my eyes?"

Splinter leveled her with a stern look. "You must banish such thoughts from your head. I think some meditation may help with that."

She nodded. "I guess I could try that when I get home."

"That would be a good idea," he answered.

"Raph wanted to hook me up with Slash," she said. "He thought I liked him."

"Do you like him?"

"Not in that way. He's just a friend and nothing more. You believe me, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"I just don't see myself with anyone. I've always been happier alone."

"But you are not alone now, Willow."

"No, I'm not. Have you ever thought about finding someone else, Splinter?"

"That would be hard considering I am now a mutant."

"But if you could turn back into a human, would you try to find someone else?"

He sighed. "As much as I would love that, I don't think it would be possible. Even if I turned human, what would become of my sons? I cannot leave them."

"But they're older now. They can take care of themselves."

"Yes, they are skilled warriors, but they have much more to learn," he pointed out. "I cannot leave them to chase some foolish dream. They are my life now."

"I understand that. I feel that way about my mom. I don't know what I would do if I lost her."

"Yes, I can see that would be devastating for you," he said.

"Well, I have to go now. It's getting late, and I have to work tomorrow. It was nice talking to you, Master Splinter."

"It was nice talking to you, too, Willow. You will be here tomorrow?"

She nodded. "I plan on it," she answered.

"Good. I will see you then."

She bowed to him and left the Lair, waving goodbye to the Turtles as she went. She arrived home and got ready for bed, hoping that tomorrow would be a new day.

22222

Class went well for Willow the next day, and when it was over and she was ready to go home, she felt relief. She made some dinner for herself and waited for it to get dark outside so she could visit the Turtles and help in their lesson.

As she entered the dojo, she saw that the Turtles were waiting for her as was Splinter. The poles were set up, though she was confused as to why there were only two. She took her place beside the Turtles, making sure to sit next to Mikey.

Splinter smiled as he took in all of them. "Today we will be working on balance," he said. "As you know, balance is important in all things. Leonardo, you will work with Willow today."

Willow gaped in surprise. Was he serious? Was he really going to trust Leo to work with her after what he did? She wanted to protest this, but she knew it would be futile. She had learned that once Splinter ordered something, it was done without question. With a mental sigh, Willow jumped up on one of the poles, and Leo jumped up on one of the poles across from her.

"Place one foot up," Splinter instructed. "Do not close your eyes. I want both of you to look at each other as you do this exercise."

Willow looked straight at Leo, letting his blue orbs pierce her. She wasn't sure what was going on through his mind, but she hoped it wasn't anything forbidden. Leo just stared at her like his sensei had asked him to and didn't say a word.

"Good. Now, both of you take each other's hands. Continue gazing at each other and do not break eye contact."

Great. Now he was really pushing things. Willow took Leo's hands into her own and saw that he was sweating. Ah, so he was nervous, too. Good. He needed to be nervous. She could feel that he was shaking, and she knew that if she hadn't been holding onto him, he probably would fall off his pole. Willow took deep breaths and saw that Leo was doing the same. Maybe this was a good exercise for them. They had to learn to achieve balance in their relationship.

"Yame!" Splinter called. "That was very good. You may both be excused."

Willow and Leo let go of each other and jumped down from their poles. They were glad the exercise was over and that nothing had happened because of it. Willow once again sat down next to Mikey while Donnie and Raph started their exercise. Willow tried to focus on it, but she couldn't. She was still thinking about Leo and how nervous he was. He was probably still guilty for what he did, and that was a good thing. He should feel guilty for what happened.

After Donnie and Raph were done, Mikey paired up with Raph for his turn. Both Turtles were good at the exercise and managed to do everything Splinter asked of them. Splinter called a halt and the two of them came back to sit next to everyone else.

"Very good, all of you," Splinter praised them. "I am proud of all you have achieved today. You may go."

The Turtles and Willow bowed to him, and the boys left the dojo. Willow stayed behind to help Splinter clean up the dojo.

"How did you like the lesson?" he asked her.

"Well, it was kind of weird taking orders from someone else," she answered. "I did it when I was younger, but I haven't done that since."

"Did you learn anything?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I did. I think Leo and I can achieve balance just as long as he learns to behave himself."

Splinter chuckled. "I think he will be fine. He knows what will happen if he crosses that line again."

"That's good," she said. "It was a good lesson though."

"Would you like to stay for some tea?"

"Not tonight. I think I better go home. I have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Very well. We will see you tomorrow if you are up to coming."

"Yes, I'll come," she said.

"Good. Have a good night, Willow."

"You, too, Master Splinter."

22222

 _I'm glad the exercise went well, and I can understand why Splinter did it. Leo and I need to move on from what happened and achieve balance. I know we can, and I know he won't try that with me again. I'm so lucky to have the Turtles in my life and Splinter, too. They have been a great asset to me and a great comfort as well. Maybe I should have told Splinter about the funny feeling I've been having. I don't know what it is, but I feel like something is going to change in my life very soon. Ah well, I can't dwell on it now. I'll just have to take what comes and leave it at that._

 _I'd better get to bed now. I have yet another big day tomorrow._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter is done! I'm so glad I got this chapter done, and I hope that you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be up soon as I already have an idea for it and what's going to happen, so I'm really excited for it. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Loss

A/N: So here's the next chapter in this saga. I have to admit, I'm pretty excited to be writing it since I've been thinking about it for the past few days. An explanation will come in the end note about what's about to happen to Willow. I won't spoil it now because if I do, then you won't bother to read the story at all, so you'll have to wait for that. I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story so far. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

"Billy, keep that knee up. Very good, Audrey, but don't take your eyes off your opponent. Nice form, Ashley. Brad, stop using your weapon like that. That's not what it's for!"

It was another typical class session, and Willow was getting tired. Thankfully, it was time to end the session, and she was glad because she was looking forward to a hot shower and some wrestling tonight.

"Okay, that's it for this lesson," she said. "You all did very well today. Just keep practicing, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Her students bowed to her, and she bowed back. Then she cleaned up the dojo and locked the door behind her. With a sigh, she started walking, already thinking about what was going to happen tonight and how relieved she was going to be when she made it to the apartment. But suddenly, she felt a prickling, which told her she was being followed. She whirled and faced a Foot Bot who was right behind her. But just as she was engaging him, she felt the dart prick her neck. Her hand flew to it, but before she could pull it out, her world faded to black.

22222

When Willow woke up, she had a pounding headache. She took in her surroundings and saw she was in a building of some sort and strapped down to a table. She worked at her bindings, but she couldn't get them off. Great. Where was MacGyver when you needed him? He could probably get out of this scrape.

"Ah, you are awake, child," a voice said as a tiger mutant entered the room.

"Who are you calling a child?" she retorted. "I'm an adult, thank you very much!"

"You may be a human adult, but you are still a cub when it comes to the art of ninjutsu," he replied.

"Who are you anyway?"

"I am Tiger Claw, and you are in the Foot Headquarters."

Willow wasn't happy about that. If she was in the hands of the Foot, that meant they wanted her for something. But what would they want with her?

"Okay, so why I am here?" she asked him.

"You are here to serve a purpose for Master Shredder," Tiger Claw replied. "He will tell you what it is."

As if on cue, a man in metal armor entered the room followed by a wolf mutant, a fish mutant, a warthog mutant, a rhino mutant, and a fly mutant. For someone who hated mutants so much, he'd definitely amassed an army of them.

"Ah, so you are awake," the man in metal said. "I am Oroku Saki, but I am also called The Shredder."

Willow cracked a smile. "Funny name. Who gave it to you?"

"That is none of your concern," he answered. "But there is much you can tell me."

She looked upon this man, and memories came to her about stories the Turtles had told her. This was the man who had killed Tang Shen all those years ago. This was the man who had ambushed Leo and nearly killed him. This was the man who hated her friends and wanted them killed. And that meant that she was here to lure them in so he could destroy them. Well, she would rather die than do that!

"I know a lot about you, Willow Green. I know that you are a very famous dojo instructor and that you have many friends. However, there is one thing I need to know, and I want you to tell me what it is."

"And if I don't?" she asked him.

"Then you will suffer dearly for it," he replied.

"What is it you want to know?"

"I know that you are friends with Hamato Yoshi and his Turtles. And because of that, you know where they live. So, tell me, where do they hide down in those sewers?"

"That's none of your business," she answered, glaring at him. There was no way in hell she was going to sell out her friends!

"Ah, such a noble spirit," he purred. "You would be very useful in the Foot Clan. We could use a fighter like you."

"I'll never join you!" she spat.

"Have it your way," he said. "And if you won't tell me what I want to know, then I suppose we'll have to make you suffer." He made a motion with his hand, and two of the mutants brought out a contraption Willow had never seen before. It was a vat filled with glowing green stuff with a tube connected to it. They positioned the tube right over Willow's head.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"You will either tell me what I want to know or I will mutate you," he said.

In the background she could hear different animals making sounds. They must have captured them to use them for this experiment.

"Aww, aren't you just cute?" the warthog mutant cooed as he cuddled an orange tabby cat. The cat scratched him and jumped out of his arms, making its way to Willow's table. The cat jumped up and nuzzled Willow's cheek, purring contentedly.

"That is enough!" Shredder bellowed. With a swipe of his hand, he knocked the cat off of the table. "Tell me where Hamato Yoshi and the Turtles live!"

"Sorry, I can't tell you that," she answered.

Shredder growled and pressed a switch on the machine. "Then prepare to lose your humanity!" he said.

Willow knew there was nothing she could do no matter how hard she tried. The mutagen poured out of the vat and landed on her. Pain exploded in her body once the liquid touched it, and she screamed in pain. Her body began changing, her clothes ripping off of her, her hair falling out all around her. The pain continued until Willow realized she was no longer a human. She had mutated into a tabby cat much like the one who had jumped on her table. Her bonds broke loose, and she smiled at that. She figured Shredder hadn't counted on that happening.

With a snarl, she lunged off of the table and straight for Shredder, but his henchmen were there to block the way to him. She scratched the other mutants with her new claws, raising deep gashes on them. They knocked her off, but she landed on her feet and lunged again. The fish tried to bite her, but she batted him away with her paw. The rhino tried to spear her with his horn, but she dodged his attack, leaping over him. The wolf mutant scratched her, but she scratched him back and even bit him for good measure, causing him to yelp in pain.

Not long after, the Turtles joined the fray and began fighting off the mutants. In the melee, Shredder disappeared from sight. Willow kept on fighting along with the Turtles. She wasn't going to let these jerks get to her. At one point, Raph lunged at her with his sais, and she was ready to meet him with her claws until Leo yelled out, "Raph, no! It's Willow!" That caused Raph to pause and divert his attack from her.

"Wait, Willow's a mutant now?" Mikey asked.

"Yes, they mutated her," Leo answered.

"How do you know?" Donnie asked.

"Because that's her hair on the ground," Leo answered. "And those are her clothes."

"Should I be amazed or disturbed that you know that?" Raph asked him.

"Let's get her out of here," Leo ordered. They grouped together, and Willow joined them as Leo threw down a smoke bomb. Everything disappeared as Willow followed the Turtles back to the Lair.

22222

"My sons, what has happened?" Splinter demanded.

"They kidnapped me and mutated me," Willow replied.

"How?" Leo asked her.

"They ambushed me as I was on my way home from my dojo," she answered. "They held me captive and mutated me into this!" She gazed down at the body that was no longer her human body.

"Chill out, Willow," Mikey soothed. "It's gonna be okay."

"No it's not!" she snapped. "You have no idea what it's like to lose your humanity! You have no idea what it's like to lose everything you've ever worked for! I don't have a home or a family or even a life anymore thanks to them! I'm a freak now!" Sobs escaped her body as she sank to the ground.

A pair of arms wrapped around her as Splinter embraced her.

"I know what it is like, Willow," he said gently. "It is not easy, but in time, you will adjust to it."

"How could you do it, Splinter?" she sobbed. "How could you accept what happened to you?"

"It took a lot of time, but I managed to do it," he answered. "And it was my sons who helped me along the way."

Willow was glad of that for Splinter, but what did she have now? She was alone, and she didn't have a life anymore. What was she going to do?

Seeing the distraught look on Willow's face, Mikey embraced her and stroked her back. "Don't worry, dudette," he soothed. "We're here for you."

His comforting words soothed her, and she was glad he was there to hold her and calm her down. She had no idea what she was going to do now.

"Where do I go from here?" she asked.

"The logical thing to do would be to say with us," Donnie replied. "You can't live in your apartment anymore being that you're a mutant now."

Willow felt a little upset by that. As much as she liked their sewer home, what would it feel like to be cooped up down there for eternity? She would never be able to see the sun or go out and shop anymore. Still, she had no choice in the matter. Her life as she knew it was over, and there was nothing else she could do.

"Then I guess this is my new home," she replied.

"We'll go get some stuff from your apartment," said Leo. "Just tell us what you want us to get, and we'll be sure to find it and bring it to you."

"I'll go with you," she offered.

"I don't think that's a good idea," protested Leo. "You could be seen."

"Leo, I can handle it. I've been going out on patrol with you guys for months. Just let me do this one thing. It's all I have."

"Sensei what do you think?" Leo asked his father.

"I think Willow knows what she is talking about. You should let her go and pick out her own things. I will warn you though that it will be hard, Willow. It was hard for me to do the same thing."

She nodded. "I'm sure it will be, but I have to do this. I'll come back soon."

"Okay, let's go, ninjas," ordered Leo. "Remember, full stealth mode. We don't need the residents to hear anything. That goes for you, too, Willow."

"I think I know how to be stealthy, Leo," Willow huffed.

"Yes, as a human, not as a mutant," he pointed out.

"Will you just stop with the bossiness already?" Raph grumbled. "Are we gonna do this or what?"

Leo sighed and led the way out of the Lair. He found a manhole cover and climbed up the ladder, pushing it aside. He looked out and then motioned for the others to climb out. Willow had some difficulty due to her size, but she managed it. They headed for the rooftops, and Willow was happy to be outside. Jumping the rooftops was even easier to her now as a mutant as she leapt over them with ease. They reached her apartment in no time, and once Leo gave the all clear signal, they entered. Willow bashed her tail on the frame and cursed, causing Leo to glare at her.

"We're supposed to be stealthy, Willow!" he chastised.

"Well, excuse me, Leo, I didn't know my tail was going to do that!" she hissed at him. She was really getting tired of Leo giving her orders. She was the oldest one here. Shouldn't they be following her?

"Okay, what do you want to take, Willow?" Raph asked her.

Willow gazed around her apartment and took in everything. She remembered when she first got this place and how happy she was to be living on her own. Now that was going to be taken away from her. With a sigh, she went to her room and took out a duffel bag. She put in some mementos from her mother and a family photo album. She packed up her laptop and made sure to pack her journal as well. She knew her clothes were useless now given her mutant form so she ignored those.

"What about your DVDs?" Mikey asked her.

"There are too many," she answered. "I can't just take them all. We can always get replacement for them, right?"

"Absolutely," Donnie replied.

"Then they can stay." She looked around the apartment one last time. "Well, I guess this is it. I'm going to miss this place."

"We'll be sure to get you stuff to replace all of this," Leo offered.

"Thanks, Leo. That means a lot to me."

"Are we good?" Raph asked.

"Yep," Willow replied. "Let's head home."

They exited the apartment and Willow made sure to maneuver her tail so it didn't hit the window frame. They were out of the apartment with no problems and returned to the Lair without incident. Splinter was happy to see them and even happier that they had acquired Willow's belongings.

"Are you all right, Willow?" he asked gently.

"It's a lot to take in, but I think I'll be okay," she answered. "I'll be sad and I'll probably cry tonight, but at least I have some memories with me."

"Yes, that is the best thing to have," Splinter said. "And at least you have somewhere to stay."

She nodded. "Yeah, I lucked out on that front, didn't I?"

"Hey, we should show her the guest room," Mikey suggested. "It can be your room now, Willow?"

"But what if April has to stay over again?"

"You can always share it with her."

"Yes, I suppose so."

Mikey led her up a short flight of steps and to a set of doors that led to the boys' rooms. Further down, he showed her to a guest bedroom complete with a dresser, a bed, and a small television set which she would rather have as a flat screen. She would remind the Turtles to go shopping so that she could dress it up better.

"So, what do you think?" Mikey asked her.

"It's nice, though it could use some improvement," she answered.

"You can fix it up any way you like. Well, I'd better get to bed myself. We've got a training session tomorrow."

"Yes, and you boys need your sleep," she said firmly.

Mikey threw his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Welcome to the family, Willow," he whispered.

A rumbling purr emanated from her throat and she licked his cheek, causing him to giggle. Then he parted from her and left her room.

Willow began organizing her room and when it was done, she settled into bed. She had her journal on her lap and was ready to write down all that had happened to her. But suddenly, she noticed drops of water hitting her journal. Was she crying? She moved over to the dresser that had a mirror attached and saw that tears were indeed running down her cheeks. But what was she crying for?

The loss of her humanity.

The fact that she had to live in the sewers forever.

The fact that she'd never see her mother or her students again.

The fact that she was jobless and had no purpose anymore.

Frustrated, she threw her journal on the bed and left her room in search of the dojo. Maybe a workout would help to calm her nerves. She did some warm ups and then unleashed her fury on the punching bag. She imagined that the bag was Shredder and his gang of henchmutants, and her moves became sharper and more violent with each attack. She let loose a yowl of rage that matched the ache in her heart. Then, exhausted by her workout, she collapsed on the floor, unleashing more sobs.

It wasn't too long before she felt a presence next to her and someone touched her arm. She turned and saw Splinter staring at her, a concerned look in her eyes.

"Willow, are you all right?" he asked gently.

She shook her head. She wasn't all right. She was broken and damaged now. There was no way anyone would be able to fix her.

Splinter pulled her into his arms and began soothing her. He stroked her back while she sobbed out her anguish at everything she had lost. Her sobs subsided and the rumbling purr replaced them as she let Splinter comfort her.

When she was calmed down, she pulled back from him and wiped the remaining tears from her face. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You are welcome," he said. "I cried like that, too."

"You did?"

He nodded. "It was after my sons went to sleep for the night. I was still adjusting to my body, and I was angry about all that had happened to me. So I worked out just as you were doing and let out all my anguish. I was glad my sons didn't hear me for I know they would have been distressed at my sadness and my anger."

"Are you still angry about what the Kraang did to you?" she asked him.

"Sometimes I am. I am angry at Shredder for stealing my family and at the Kraang for what they did, too. But whenever I do get angry, I often remember my sons and how they have helped me through the tough times. You must remember us and how we are here to help you through this. You are not alone, Willow, so do not think that you are."

"I'll try, Master Splinter," she whispered.

"That is all I ask. Are you ready to sleep now?"

"Yes, I am. Thanks for being there for me."

"I am always here for you. Remember that." He gave her another hug and a kiss on her forehead before departing to his chambers.

Willow went back to her room and touched the place where he had kissed her. It felt nice, and she was happy that she had someone like Splinter who knew how she felt and could relate to her plight. With a sigh she got into bed and took out her journal.

22222

 _My life changed today, but I know that I have friends who can help me. I have lost so many things in my life: My home, my students, my mother, and my humanity. However, I have gained four mutant Turtles, one mutant Rat, and some of their allies as my family now. I have to do what I can to overcome this and move on. It will be hard, but I know that with Splinter and his sons by my side, I can't fail. I won't let this be my downfall. I won't let what Shredder did to me break me. I will rise up from this and be stronger than ever because I have to be. I will show him that he can't break me or bring me down._

 _And now it's time for bed. I can finally sleep soundly and look forward to a new day._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And so ends another chapter. I had a lot of fun with this one and the reason I mutated Willow is that I wanted her to have something in common with Splinter. Splinter lost his humanity too, and I can see him comforting and coaching Willow through her own change and helping her to adjust to life as a mutant. There will be more of this in future chapters as well. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Missing Person

A/N: Yay! We've finally gotten to double digits on this story! I have to say, I've been having a lot of fun with this story and with this series, too. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying it.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only won the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Willow woke up and felt much better after last night. She stretched her arms up above her head and got ready for the day. Being a cat mutant was very different as there were instincts that were present that she never had before. For one thing, she had an urge to groom herself the way cats often do, but as soon as her tongue touched her fur, she wrinkled her nose and stopped. No, she wasn't going to be doing that. She hurried to the bathroom and took a quick shower, enjoying the water on her skin despite the fact that cats were more often than not afraid of water.

Another instinct took root when she saw a cockroach crawling across the floor. She crouched down, wriggled her body, and pounced on the offending bug. Once the bug was dead, she had an urge to eat it, but the sounds of disgust emanating from the Turtles stopped her at once. She put the bug down and looked at them.

"What?" she asked.

"Were you gonna eat that bug?" Mikey asked her.

"Well, he does look tasty," she answered. Then she realized exactly what she was saying. "Oh man, this is not cool! Why did I have to be mutated into a cat of all things?"

Splinter chuckled at her distress. "It is all right, Willow," he soothed. "I, too, had many instincts I had to quell when I first mutated."

"How did you do it?" she asked him.

"It took a lot of practice and patience, but I managed to do it by reminding myself that I was once human," he answered.

"Oh, well, I guess I can do that," she said.

The rest of the day went well as usual. After breakfast was over, the Turtles, Splinter, and Willow retired to the dojo to practice. Willow observed with Splinter and even gave some her own pointers. As she did so, it made her miss her students. Would they miss her? Would they be worried about her? She wished she could go to the dojo and talk to them, but that was impossible. There was no way that was going to happen.

"Are you all right, Willow?" Splinter asked her.

"I think this is going to be harder than I thought it would be," she replied.

Splinter patted her shoulder. "Yes, it is not easy to give up your human life."

"Does it ever get better?"

"Yes, in time, you will come to accept your new form."

"What does it feel like when you finally accept it?"

"You go through a transformation, but when you finally accept your new form, you feel satisfied and whole again."

Willow nodded. She wanted to feel like that eventually.

The rest of the day was spent in leisure for the most part. The Turtles did their own things while Willow read some books and talked with Splinter. It felt weird not being able to work or having nothing to do all day. She had never experienced anything like it in her life.

As evening fell, the Turtles were getting ready to go on patrol. Willow wanted to go with them, but Splinter advised her to stay home tonight.

"It is best if you stay with me," he said. "I do not want you getting into any trouble while out on the surface."

She wasn't happy about it, but she obliged. Just before the Turtles left, a breaking news bulletin popped up on the TV screen and Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe appeared.

"We have breaking news," he said. "Renowned dojo instructor, Willow Green, has been reported missing. Green was supposed to be at her dojo, but when she didn't arrive, her clients began to grow worried and one called the police. For more, let's go to Susan Tibbs. Susan?"

"Yes, Carlos, I'm standing outside the dojo where Willow Green has taught students for many years. She was supposed to arrive yesterday morning to work with clients, but when she didn't show up, her students began to get worried, prompting one of them to call the police."

The shot changed to a clip from earlier, and Willow gasped as she recognized Edith, one of her elderly clients.

"Yes, Willow was always here promptly at eight," she said. "I have to say, I've never had a day where she wasn't here. And even when she was sick, she always managed to get a message to all of us that she wasn't in and wouldn't be in. I think something happened to that poor woman."

"Are you sure about that? What if she just decided to quit her job and run off with someone?"

Edith shook her head. "No, Willow was never the type to do that. She loved her job and her students. She would never just run off without telling us."

The shot changed to the live feed again. "Police are investigating her disappearance and hope to have some leads as to her whereabouts soon. In the meantime, we can only hope that nothing terrible has befallen Willow Green. Back to you, Carlos."

Willow gasped as she took in the report. She was now a missing person, and there was no hope of going back. She thought of her mother at the residency listening to this story. Surely, her mother believed she was dead, or that maybe she was someone else. And what about Cynthia? Would Cynthia believe she was dead, or would she check to see if Willow was alive?

"Well, that settles it, Willow," Leo said. "You definitely can't come with us now."

Willow knew he was right but said nothing. She got up and retreated to her room to think about what had just happened. At that moment, her phone rang, and Willow hurried to look at it.

It was Cynthia!

22222

Cynthia sighed as she sat down to watch the evening news. She had had an exhausting day and only some television would be able to comfort her. Just as she was turning on the news, she gasped as Carlos reported on Willow's disappearance. That was weird as she had talked to Willow before she was gone. Something in Cynthia's gut told her that Willow hadn't run off to be with some guy. No, this was something much worse. She was either dead or captured somewhere.

Cynthia thought about calling Willow's phone. Maybe if she answered it, that would give Cynthia the answer she needed. Bolstered by her decision, the woman picked up her phone and began to dial.

22222

Willow immediately answered on the first ring. "Cyn?"

"Willow, you're alive!" Cynthia gasped. "I just saw that story about you on the news! Where are you?"

"Well, I have a bit of a problem at the moment," Willow replied. "The Foot captured me and mutated me into a cat."

Cynthia gasped. "Are you serious?! Why would they do that?"

"Because they're morons," she answered. "So, I'm in the Lair with the Turtles and Splinter now."

"What should I say if the police question me?" Cynthia asked her.

"Tell them that you talked to me before this and that you had no idea where I went," Willow replied. "You can't tell them the truth no matter how much you want to. Do you understand, Cyn?"

"Yes, but what if they look at my phone? They'll know that I just talked to you now."

"You can tell them that I called you to tell you I was safe and that I can't reveal my location. But I doubt they'll do that. These police officers are pretty incompetent."

"Okay. Well, it was nice talking to you, Willow. I'm glad you're okay, and I'll be sure to visit you soon."

"I look forward to it. Talk to you later, Cyn."

"Talk to you later, Will."

After Willow hung up, she felt some relief. At least she could let Cynthia in on the secret without any repercussions. She heard the Turtles leave and came out of her room to sit by Splinter.

"Do you feel better?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yes, I do. I just talked to Cynthia and let her now what was going on. I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is. You have every right to tell whoever you can trust. Just because you live here now does not mean you are a prisoner here and do not have a will of your own."

"Thank you, Splinter," she said.

"You are very welcome. I am sorry this had to happen to you. If I could change it, I would."

"I know you would," she answered.

They sat together and watched television until the Turtles came home. Leo and Splinter retired to his chambers so Leo could give a report of the mission. Mikey plopped down next to Willow while Donnie went to his lab and Raph went to his room.

"How was it here, Willow?" Mikey asked her.

"It was fine," she answered. "It old Cynthia what happened."

"I figured you would," Mikey said. "She deserves to know."

Leo came out of the dojo, fury written all over his face. "What did you do?" he demanded as he glared at Willow.

"I told Cynthia the truth," she replied.

"You know that puts her at risk, too, right?"

"Leo, chill," Mikey begged. "Cyn's her best friend and best friends share secrets."

"But now she's at risk of getting hurt, Mikey," Leo pointed out. "You shouldn't have told her, Willow."

Willow glared at him. "Who are YOU to tell me what to do and not to do?" she demanded. "I'm an adult, and I have the right to tell anyone I want about what happened to me."

"Does that mean you'll tell your mother, too?" Leo retorted.

"No, but that's because she probably wouldn't believe me."

"It was a stupid thing to do, Willow. You should have left it alone. The less people who know the better."

"Cynthia's my friend, Leonardo. I have the right to tell her the truth whether you like it or not. The problem with you is that you're taking this leadership position too far and you're getting too big for your britches, young man. You may be able to tell your brothers what to do on patrol, but you don't have the right to tell me what to do."

"I'm the leader of this clan, and I have the burden of protecting this family," he countered.

"Yes, you do, Leonardo, but you do not have the right to overstep your bounds," said Splinter firmly. "Willow had every right to tell her friend what was going on. Cynthia is our friend as well and can be trusted to be discreet about it. There will be no more arguments on this subject. What is done is done."

Leo huffed and stormed off to his room. Mikey put his arm around Willow.

"Don't' sweat it, dudette," he soothed. "You did the right thing. Leo will understand soon enough."

"And if he doesn't, I can always beat it out of him," Raph offered.

"Thanks, Raph, but I think I'll be the one to decide that," she said.

"It is time for bed," said Splinter. "We all need our rest."

Willow nodded and bade everyone good night before going off to her room. She really wished things could be different, but she stuck to her decision and that was that. There was no going back now no matter what happened next.

22222

 _I know Leo's mad at me, but he needs to suck it up. Sometimes I think he takes the leader thing way too far. I swear, if he slaps me like Captain Ryan, I'm gonna kick his ass! He really needs to learn to have boundaries and learn that he can't boss me around just because I'm a member of his family now. I'm just glad Cyn's in on the secret now. It feels better for her to know because I don't think I could have kept it a secret from her for very long._

 _Now I'm a missing person, and I just hope the police don't ask too many questions. Of course, now my life has changed. I can't go back to being Willow Green because that person doesn't exist anymore. I'm just a mutant cat living with four mutant Turtles and a Rat. Nobody said life was easy, but I have to make the most of it._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter has ended. Not the best one, but it was the best I could do. I hope all of you enjoyed it. I also have a one shot I'm going to do that takes place after this chapter, so be on the lookout for that. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Target

A/N: So here's the next chapter in this tale. I wasn't sure if I would get an idea so quickly, but I have. I know it may not seem like this story has much of a plot, but this is the type of story where it just comes into my head and I write it down as I go, so that's why it may seem all over the place. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all relate characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Willow woke up, feeling happy. Life as a mutant was getting better and better every day, and she had begun to get used to some of the weirder aspects of it thanks to Splinter and the Turtles. She smiled as she walked into the kitchen and saw Mikey making breakfast as usual. Mikey was the designated cook in the family, though once in a while, the other Turtles would contribute as well. Willow had learned to avoid letting Donnie cook because he often would try to experiment too much, resulting in concoctions that were less than healthy for any of them.

"Good morning, Mikey," she greeted him.

"Good morning, Willow," he answered. "You have a good sleep?"

She nodded. "Yep, it was pretty good. I think I'm finally getting used to life down here."

"That's cool."

The others came in shortly, and they all settled down to breakfast. Willow marveled at Mikey's cooking skills just as she always did. He was definitely one of the best cooks.

Once breakfast was over, they all gathered in the dojo for practice. Willow participated and helped Splinter teach them some new moves just as she had before. It made her feel good to be doing something instead of just sitting on the sidelines. Practice went well, and after it was over, Willow joined Splinter in his room for tea, accompanied by Leo.

"Did you want to speak to Leo about something?" Willow asked Splinter.

"No, Leonardo often joins me for tea," he answered.

Willow wasn't upset, but she did hope that maybe she and Splinter could have some time alone without the Turtles present. Still, she knew she couldn't snub Leo, so she graciously accepted that he was joining them and said nothing about it.

"I'm glad to hear you're adjusting, Willow," Leo said. "We were worried about that."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"We figured you'd be upset and not want to live with us," he answered.

"Well, there's nowhere else I could go, Leo," she pointed out. "I'm getting used to this whole mutant thing, so I think I'll survive."

"Do you miss being human though?"

"Yes, I do," she answered. "Just now I had that pang of longing to teach my students as I was teaching you. I don't know if it will go away in time, and there are times where I don't want it to go away. I don't want to forget my students or how I was their teacher."

"I think that is reasonable," said Splinter. "You never want to forget who you once were. I am like that myself."

"What were your students like?" Leo asked her.

"They were really sweet and willing to learn. They all respected me and always wanted to do what they could for me. I even had some elderly students, too."

"What were they like?"

Willow laughed. "They were funny, but they always were able to do the moves. Edith was probably the hardest worker there. She said she wanted to learn ninjutsu so she could exercise and so she could defend herself against muggers. Her persistence really made me respect her, and that's why I wanted to teach her. I just hope whoever takes over my dojo will be just as patient and kind as I was." It hurt Willow to use the past tense because it felt like she was dead even though she wasn't. But technically, part of her had died, and she wasn't sure if she could ever get over that.

"You taught children as well, did you not?" Splinter asked her.

"Yeah, and they were fun. Brad was a bit of a troublemaker, but I always was able to keep him in line. I even used some of your methods, Splinter, and they worked."

"Did you have a favorite among your students?" Leo inquired.

"I always tried never to play favorites with my students," she answered. "But I will admit that I liked Billy and Audrey the best out of my students. They were always willing to learn and tried to keep some of my other students in line."

"They sound like good kids," said Leo.

She nodded. "They are. I just hope they don't miss me too much."

Splinter could see the sad look in Willow's eyes and immediately changed the subject so she didn't dwell on the sadness. The woman was grateful for that, but she couldn't help but still feel upset at how her life had suddenly changed.

The rest of the day passed by quickly. Willow watched some TV with Leo, played some games with Mikey, coached Raph about the punching bag, and helped Donnie in his lab for a little bit. The Turtles got ready for patrol, and Willow resigned herself to the fact that she would be staying behind again, though she didn't like it.

"I know you are discouraged, Willow, but you must understand why you need to stay here," Splinter said gently.

"I know, Splinter, and I get it. What do you do while the Turtles are gone?"

"Sometimes I like to take walks through the sewers," he answered. "Perhaps you would like to do that as well."

"I'd love to take a walk with you," she replied.

And so the two mutants headed out of the Lair. Splinter showed her the different sites in the sewers and even showed her some of the original homes they had once had.

"Why did you choose the home you have now?" she asked him.

"It was bigger for my sons, and I figured it would be a better home than some of the other ones," he told her.

"I bet it wasn't easy raising the boys," she mused.

He chuckled. "No, it was not, but I did what I had to do out of duty to my sons. Sometimes, that is the only thing you can do."

"Yes, that's very true. I always felt that way about my dojo students, too."

"They do sound like they respected you and admired you."

"That's all I ever wanted out of life. Didn't you want that, too, Splinter?"

"Yes, I did. I wanted to run my father's dojo after his passing, but that was not to be as you now know. Saki ruined everything for me."

"I'm so sorry that had to happen to you," she said softly. "I don't know what I would do if Cynthia and I ever had a falling out like that and she became my enemy. I'd probably go nuts."

"Shredder has ruined a lot of lives," he answered.

"Yes, but he has also given us new ones without realizing it," she reminded him.

He nodded. "Yes, I suppose you are right, Willow."

Suddenly, Willow's hearing picked up a small sound nearby. She stopped Splinter and cocked her ear to hear it better.

"What is it?" Splinter asked her.

"It sounds like a child," she answered. "I'm going to see who it is."

"Be careful, Willow," Splinter cautioned her. "They may be frightened of you."

"I can handle this," she said and cautiously approached the pipe. When she bent down, she saw a familiar figure wedged inside and gasped. The child heard her gasp and immediately looked up at her.

"Audrey? What are you doing here?"

Audrey's eyes widened. "Sensei Willow, is that you?" she asked.

Willow nodded. "Yes, it's me. What are you doing down here?"

"I ran away," she answered. "After you disappeared, some new people took over your dojo, but they weren't very nice. One of them came to my house and asked where you were. I told them I didn't know, but they didn't believe me. They questioned my parents, and when my parents couldn't answer them, they killed them! They tried to take me, but I used the moves you taught me and got away from them."

Willow smiled and patted her head. "That's very good, Audrey. I'm proud of you. But why did you come down here?"

"I knew I had to hide, so when I saw a manhole cover was open, I ran down there and figured it would be safe. But I was scared because I didn't know where to go, so I hid here."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," said Willow. "Who took over my dojo?"

"They said they were from the Foot Clan," answered Audrey.

Willow's fur bristled at the name. So the Foot had taken over her dojo, and now they were targeting her students for information! A growl escaped her lips, and Audrey cringed away from her.

"This can't go on," Willow declared. "Something has to be done. Audrey, do you have any other relatives nearby who can take you in?"

She shook her head. "I have some relatives in California, but I don't want to go there. I'm afraid if I do, the Foot will track me, and then they would hurt them, too."

"Yes, that's true," Willow said. "Then I guess you'll be coming with me."

"How did you get like this, Sensei Willow?" Audrey asked her.

"There's no time to explain just now," she answered. "Just come with me, and I'll take you to s safe place."

The child nodded and followed Willow to where Splinter was waiting for them. Willow hurriedly introduced Splinter to Audrey, and the three of them hurried back to the Lair. Once they were there, Willow settled Audrey on the couch and dialed Leo's number. The Turtles needed to know about what was going on.

Leo answered on the first ring. "Willow, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Leo, you guys need to get home now!" she answered.

"Is everything okay?"

"I'll explain when you get here. Just hurry!"

When Willow hung up, Audrey asked, "What's going on, Sensei Willow? Why have you been in the sewers all of this time? And why are you a cat now?"

"It's a long story, Audrey," Willow replied and told the young girl about what had happened to her and why she was with the Turtles and Splinter. She also told their story and how they came to be what they were.

"Why do they have to come home now?" Audrey asked her.

"Because they need to know what's going on," she replied. "This is very dangerous stuff, and only the Turtles can help. I just hope they get here soon."

As if on cue, Leo and his brothers came hopping over the turnstiles but stopped short when they saw Audrey.

"Willow, who is that?" Leo asked her.

"This is Audrey Donnelly, one of my former students," Willow answered. "Audrey, these are the Turtles: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo." She turned to the boys. "The Foot took over my dojo. They confronted Audrey at home and asked about me, but she told them she didn't know where I was. They questioned her parents and killed them when her parents couldn't give them the information they needed. Audrey escaped and hid in the sewers. Splinter and I found her when we were on our walk and brought her here for safety reasons. The problem is the Foot are trying to find me and are targeting my students. This has to stop, guys, and it has to stop now. I'm not going to let them hurt anyone else I love."

Leo grew contemplative after Willow was done. "So the Foot are trying to find you to destroy you," he mused. "Yes, I can see that. We definitely have to stop this, but I don't know how we can."

"We go to the dojo, confront those jerks, and beat the hell outta them," Raph answered, smacking a fist into his palm. "That'll teach 'em not to mess with our friends."

"You must not be rash, Raphael," Splinter admonished. "The Foot will be anticipating interference from all of you. You must tread with caution, my sons."

"Maybe I can help," Audrey offered.

"No, you're going to stay here," Willow replied. "You're too young to go after these guys, and they almost hurt you once."

"But I want to help, Sensei Willow!" Audrey protested. "They need to be stopped, and you taught me so many new moves."

"Yes, but these men are skilled, Audrey," Willow reminded her. "They have years of experience. No, you're staying here where it's safe."

"And so are you, Willow," Leo said.

"Why am I staying here?" she asked.

"Because they're after you, and if you come, they'll try to take you."

"I can handle them on my own, Leo," she replied. "I'm a skilled martial artist."

He shook his head. "It's too risky, Willow. You have to stay here, right, Sensei?"

Splinter nodded. "Leonardo is right," he answered. "You are at risk if you go with them. You must stay here with Audrey and me."

"So, what are we gonna do with the kid?" Raph asked.

"She's going to stay with us," Willow answered.

"So we're a daycare now?" Raph grumbled.

Audrey glared at him. "I'm fourteen, thank you very much," she retorted. "I don't need a babysitter."

Raph smirked. "Could have fooled me, kid," he said.

"Raph, that's enough!" Willow chastised. "Don't egg her on. Audrey, you can stay with me tonight."

"Oh, I can take the couch," she said. "I don't want to intrude, Sensei Willow."

"It's not an intrusion at all," Willow answered.

"I have a sleeping bag you can use, Audrey," Mikey offered.

"That would be great, Mikey," Willow said. "What do you say, Audrey?"

"Thank you for letting me use your sleeping bag, Mikey," Audrey replied.

"No problem, little dudette," he said. "Make yourself at home."

"Maybe you should get something to eat before bed, Audrey," Willow suggested.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not hungry, Sensei Willow. I'm just tired."

"Okay, but if you get hungry, don't hesitate to grab something to eat," Willow told her.

Raph scowled. "Since when do we allow complete strangers to eat our food?" he demanded.

Willow glared at him. "Audrey isn't a stranger," she replied. "She's my student, and I just told her she's welcome to do as she pleases. You can either accept that or you can continue being grouchy. It's your choice."

Raph grumbled a bit before heading to his room. Mikey gave Audrey a hug before retiring to his own quarters. Donnie and Leo bade her goodnight before leaving themselves as did Splinter. Willow led Audrey to her room and set the sleeping bag next to her own bed.

"There you go," she said. "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks, Sensei Willow, but I'll be fine," Audrey replied. She settled into the sleeping bag and immediately closed her eyes.

22222

 _It's been a trying day today. I don't know what we'll do with Audrey, but I can't just abandon her in her time of need. That's just not the way I was brought up. I'd love for her to stay here, but can I risk that? Would it be fair to confine her to the sewers instead of giving her a normal life? I know she doesn't want to risk her relatives, but I can't see her staying here all of the time. It would drive her mad. I'm going to ask Donnie to look up her relatives and then ask if they'll take her. If they will, then that's the best thing for her. If not, then she has to stay here._

 _All I do know is that the Foot have to pay. They took my dojo and they want to try and intimidate my students, and I can't have that. Hopefully, the Turtles will come up with a plan, but I'm determined to go with them whether they like it or not. It's not like I can't trick them if I want to, and this is as much my fight as is it theirs. So I'm going to do all I can to make sure I get to take part in it._

 _For now, the best thing I can do is get some rest. There's nothing else I can do until tomorrow. I just hope Audrey will stay here and not run away and that Raph will learn to like her. She's really a sweet kid and a good soul at that. Ah, well, only time will tell what may come._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And so ends another chapter. I had fun with this one, and I hope you liked it, too. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I do have it plotted out so hopefully it'll be soon. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Stealthy

A/N: I know it's been a little while since I've written this story, but I'm ready to come back and continue it along with other stories in my Falling Leaves universe. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me, and I'm happy that you're enjoying this story and my characters. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, Audrey Donnelly, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

The night was cool as she traveled over the rooftops. She knew she was taking a risk in doing this before the Turtles could carry out whatever they had planned, but there was no way she was going to just sit by and let these goons take over her dojo. She was going to take it back whether the Turtles liked it or not. Her paws landed on the roof and her breath whooshed in her lungs. Traveling on four legs was more efficient than she thought it would be, and she was happy to be doing this just now.

She reached her dojo and saw it was open. Of course it would be since the Foot owned it now and were taking it over. They were probably planning to ambush more of her students, and she couldn't have that. With a soft growl, she jumped off the roof and onto her dojo roof. Then she found a window and picked the lock, making sure they heard her.

"Who's this freak?" Xever asked.

"I'm the one you stole this dojo from, and I'm here to take back what's mine," Willow replied, her teeth flashing menacingly. The urge to rip out the mutant fish's throat was strong, but she held herself back, knowing that she couldn't act too rashly yet.

Rahzar laughed. "This ain't your dojo anymore, girlie," he said. "It's ours now. So run on home and play with some string."

A snarl ripped its way out of Willow's throat at his words, and she lunged at him, claws extended and ready to bite into the mutant dog. Bradford dodged her attack and aimed a kick at her back, causing her to yowl in pain. She whirled around and launched a second attack, but Bradford dodged it yet again. The warthog came in to hurt her, but she managed to dodge his attack using her senses even though he was invisible.

"How do you keep knowin' where I am?" Bebop asked sullenly.

"I can smell you," Willow replied as she kicked him back. Rocksteady tried to defend his comrade, but she dodged him as well and leapt on his back, her claws digging in.

"Rocksteady did not ask for this!" the rhino yelled.

"Give me back my dojo now!" Willow yelled.

"Never!" Bradford replied. "It's ours now so get over it."

Willow continued to attack them in a frenzy not caring whether she was hurt or not. She was tired of these men doing this to her. They had taken her humanity and now they had taken her job. They needed to pay for their crimes.

Another commotion broke out as four familiar figures joined the fray to dispatch of the Foot. Willow was incensed. How could the Turtles have known she was gone? There was no time to talk now as the battle was still taking place. There were too many enemies, so Leo threw a smoke bomb and ordered everyone to retreat. Willow thought about disobeying, but even she knew the battle was lost. With one last painful look at the place that meant so much to her, she followed the Turtles back to their sewer home.

22222

"What were you thinking?" Leo exploded once they were in the Lair. "You could have been killed out there!"

"I had to go, Leo!" Willow retorted. "I had to take back what was mine!"

"You should have waited for us at the very least," Leo lectured. "You know what the Foot are capable of. I don't ever want to see you doing that again, do you hear me?"

"Don't you DARE lecture me, Hamato Leonardo!" Willow snarled. "You have no idea what it's like to lose something you love! Thanks to them, I have no home, no family, no humanity, and I've now lost my job! They can't just walk all over me like that! They need to pay!"

"And they will, but now we can't attack them like we planned thanks to you," Leo countered. 'You ruined the plan!"

"How did you even know I was gone?" Willow asked him.

"Audrey saw your bed was empty and alerted us," Leo answered.

Willow was still smarting from their interference, but she wasn't going to blame Audrey for anything. She had only done the right thing.

"I am glad you are in one piece, Willow," Splinter said gently as he came out of his room followed by Audrey.

"I'm sorry, Sensei Willow, but when I saw you weren't in your bed, I got worried and told the Turtles," Audrey said. "I hope you aren't mad at me."

"No, I'm not mad at you, sweetie," said Willow. "You just did the right thing. I am mad at the Turtles for interfering. That was my fight, and they had no right to intrude on it."

"And what would have happened if the Foot had killed you?" asked Leo. "You should be thankful we were there."

"Yes, I should be, but I'm not," Willow replied. "I had it under control, Leo. I was doing just fine on my own."

"You tell yourself that, but anything could have gone wrong, Willow. You could have been killed. Overconfidence is not a good thing to have. You may be skilled, but the Foot are even more skilled than you and deadlier. You have to accept that there are some battles you can't win no matter how good you think you are."

"Leonardo is right," Splinter interjected. "I am glad my sons were there to help you and it was I who ordered them to come after you."

Once again, rage coursed through Willow at his words. How dare he send his sons after her as though she was a child who couldn't handle herself? With a snarl of rage, Willow reached out and slapped Splinter's face, leaving three gouges from her claws. The Turtles gasped and ran to their father's side to tend to him. Willow braced herself for Splinter's wrath. She wanted him to attack, and she would attack back. She needed that right now after everything that had happened.

But Splinter didn't even go for her as she expected. He just stared at her impassively with no reaction. Willow watched as he turned around and headed to the infirmary with Donnie to get checked out. Mikey had a sad look in his eyes as he headed to his room. Both Raph and Leo glared at her, not daring to believe what she had done.

Audrey gazed at her in concern. "Are you okay, Sensei Willow?" she asked.

Willow shook her head. "No, I'm not. Please go to our room. I need some time by myself."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" asked Audrey.

"I'm sure. Now do as I ask."

Audrey nodded and left for their shared room. Willow grabbed her iPod which was on a stand next to the couch. She curled it around her and fastened the earbuds to her ears. She left the Lair and went through her playlist until she found "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele. Cranking the volume up, she began to run in the sewers until she reached a ladder. She didn't care what the Turtles did to her. She was getting out of the sewers so she could have time to herself.

Once topside, Willow didn't go to her dojo as she knew that was a lost cause. She sought out a familiar warehouse and hoped that at least one of the occupants inside would talk to her.

Slash opened the door, a startled look on his face. "Who's there?" he demanded.

"It's Willow," Willow replied. "I know you may not recognize me since I look so different."

'Come in and tell me about it," Slash said.

Willow followed the larger Turtle into the warehouse. He beckoned her to the couch, and she sat on it, hoping that maybe he'd hear her out.

"What's going on?" Slash asked. "How did you end up this way?"

"The Foot kidnapped me and turned me into a mutant," Willow answered. "They took over my dojo and even killed the parents of one of my students. I have no job and nothing to live for now. I went out tonight to gain back what was mine, but the Turtles interfered. They said I couldn't do this and that they would handle it themselves. But I don't want them to handle it themselves. I want to do this and take back what's mine."

A look of understanding dawned on Slash's face. "So you're upset that your dojo was taken over and you want it back," he said.

She nodded. "And the Turtles won't do it because they said I ruined their plan."

"Well, maybe my team can help you with that. They won't be expecting us, and maybe we can drive them out of there."

The suggestion appealed to Willow. She was tired of everyone walking all over her and acting like she couldn't do anything. She was tired of people taking things that were hers and ruining them. It was time to take a stand, and if the Mutanimals were willing to do it, she was in on that. She knew the Turtles would be mad and probably part ways with the other mutants, but it didn't matter. Nothing did except getting her dojo back.

"Okay, I'm in," she said. "But one thing we'll have to work on is your stealth."

Slash smiled. "Teach me all you know and then we can get going."

22222

Over the next few days, Willow went to the warehouse to plan with the Mighty Mutanimals and did it when the Turtles were asleep so they wouldn't suspect. She had warned Slash not to mention anything to the others, and he was willing to keep the secret. Some small part of Willow felt guilty for going behind their backs, but then she pushed the guilt aside. This was her life, and she was allowed to take back whatever she needed to. The Turtles never suspected, but she could see Splinter giving her strange looks as though he knew what she was up to. She tried to avoid his gaze lest he say something, but he never did.

Then the night came. Willow met the Mutanimals at their warehouse and went over the plan once more with them. Then they traveled the rooftops until they were at her dojo. With any luck, this plan would work and the Foot would be driven out for good. The plan was for Pete to create a distraction while Willow and the others snuck inside. Pete did his job well, and Willow and the rest of the Mutanimals managed to get in. They were met with armies of Foot Ninjas and some of Shredder's henchmutants, but that didn't deter them. The team fought back, determined to win. Willow used her mutation as an advantage and attacked anyone she could find. She left gaping wounds on many of her opponents and was confident this was going to work.

But then the tides turned when Shredder joined the fray. Willow was busy dispatching of Xever when Shredder snuck up behind her and grabbed her by the tail, causing her to yowl in pain.

"Ah, so the cat has returned," he gloated. "You really think you can best me and my army?"

Willow scratched at him, but his armor deflected her claws. "I know I can best you, Shredder," she growled. "Give me back my dojo!"

Shredder laughed. "You foolish cub! You know nothing of my army. We are powerful and will always win."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" a voice snarled.

Willow turned to see the Turtles and Splinter poised for battle along with the Mutanimals. Once again, that familiar rage coursed through her. What were they doing here?

Shredder threw Willow aside as he turned to face his former friend and brother. "Hamato Yoshi, we meet again," he said.

"You have a lot of nerve ruining lives, Saki," Splinter retorted. "This ends now. My sons, attack!"

The battle continued with everyone fighting together. Splinter and Shredder went at it with deadly grace. Willow dispatched of more opponents, but she couldn't help but look at them and watch them fight. They were deadly and evenly matched. At one point, it looked as though Shredder would win as he snuck up behind a blinded Splinter ready to finish him off.

With a snarl, Willow lunged and pushed Splinter out of the way of Shredder's blades. A sharp pain filled her as Shredder's blades pierced her side.

"No!" Leo yelled and turned to engage Shredder.

"Leonardo, do not engage him!" Splinter yelled. "Retreat!"

Willow felt someone pick her up and had no time to determine whether it was a friend or foe as her world went dark.

22222

Willow woke up in the infirmary. Her side throbbed with pain but it was bandaged nicely. She turned to see Splinter and Audrey by her side. Had they been there the whole time?

"What happened?" she croaked.

"We got you out of there in time," Splinter said. "You nearly died and you are lucky that you are alive. What possessed you to go back there?"

"I had to, Splinter," answered Willow. "I had to take back what was mine. How did you guys know I had gone back?"

"Slash alerted us when the battle was becoming too much," Splinter responded.

"Are you mad at me?" Willow asked him.

"I am angry that you were so reckless, but I am glad you are alive," Splinter told her.

"Don't blame Slash. I asked him to do this."

"I have no ill feelings for him or the others," Splinter reassured her. "They just wanted to help, and I can understand that though I wish you would have come to me."

"I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me after I slapped you," Willow said. "Sorry about that by the way."

"It is all right," Splinter soothed. "I know how a temper can sometimes get tin the way of things. I am just glad you are safe. But I hope that you will not try to take back your dojo. You must accept that some things cannot be fixed."

Willow sighed. "I know that now," she said. "I just feel bad for all of my students."

"I am sure they will find another place to practice when the time is right," Splinter told her. "For now, you need to rest."

"Do you want me to stay with you, Sensei Willow?" Audrey asked her.

"No, you go ahead and hang out with the guys," Willow replied. "I'll be fine."

"I brought you your journal if you want to write," Audrey said.

Willow smiled. "Thanks, kiddo."

After Audrey left, Willow reflected on all that had happened. It had definitely been a dumb mistake to go out like that, but she felt it had been the right thing to do. With a sigh, she picked up her journal, happy that Audrey had been kind enough to leave it for her.

22222

 _Note to self: Don't try anything like that again. I swear, I don't know why I keep doing stupid things, but I guess it's in my nature. I wanted my dojo back, so I recklessly went out and put not only myself in danger, but the Mighty Mutanimals as well. Splinter has forgiven me, but Leo is still mad at me, and I think he will be for a little while. He's mad at Slash too, even though I begged him not to be angry with Slash or the others. This was all on me, but Leo won't listen and is determined to have a talk with Slash about recklessness and going against his orders. Yeah, that should go over well._

 _But the biggest lesson I learned from this ordeal (besides not jumping in the middle of Shredder's blades) is that I have to let my dojo go. It's going to be hard to do that, but I know it has to happen. Some things just can't be saved. The only thing I can do is move on with my life. I just hope my students will find a safer place to practice their craft._

 _I talked to Cynthia today and she told me I was crazy for doing what I did. She forgives me though, and that means a lot. She's even promised to come and visit me when she gets a free moment. At least I have that to look forward to. I'm getting tired. These pain meds are really taking a toll on me, but Donnie's orders are law. I'll be sure to write again when I get time._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter has come to a close. Willow definitely messed up, and now only time will tell if she'll learn from her mistake and seek forgiveness from a certain Turtle in blue. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Convalescence

A/N: And so we come to the next chapter in this tale. I didn't think I would get this out so quickly, but this chapter took root in my head, and I'm writing it down. Most of this will be Willow journal entries though there will be one part where it's the regular story. So if you see italics, that's Willow writing in her journal. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me. And if you haven't read and reviewed yet, don't be shy. I accept any and all feedback.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, Audrey Donnelly, and any other OCs not associated with TMNT.

 _Living with a bunch of ninjas can be a bitch sometimes._

 _Case in point: I woke up one morning with the urge to pee and found that I was literally handcuffed to the bed. I struggled to figure out why on Earth I would have to endure this torture and tried to get the handcuffs off with no success. This was definitely not my day._

" _Donnie!" I yelled, hoping that he would hear me._

 _Donnie came in as though he'd been waiting outside for my call. "Yes, Willow?" he asked me._

" _Well, I was on my way to pee, but I noticed that I seem to not be able to get out of bed. So could you please tell me why in the blue hell I am handcuffed to my bed like a criminal?"_

 _Don blushed. "Yeah, that was Leo's idea," he said._

" _Leo arranged this?" I asked, pointing to my handcuffs._

 _Don nodded. "He said that he wasn't taking any chances of you escaping to try and take down Shredder in your condition, so he had me handcuff you."_

" _And where did you get these handcuffs?" I asked him._

" _I found some in the dump one day and thought they'd come in handy," he answered with a sheepish laugh._

" _Great," I muttered. "Then can you undo them so I can pee?"_

 _Once again, Donnie blushed. "I'm sorry, Willow, but I can't take them off until Leo says so," he told me._

 _A snarl escaped my lips. "Then how in the blue hell am I supposed to pee?"_

" _You can use this," Don answered and procured a bed pan like you would get if you were in a hospital._

 _Once again, a snarl issued out of my mouth. "Leo is SO going to pay for this," I vowed. But since I couldn't hold it in anymore, I did what I had to do then handed the thing to Donnie to take care of. Needless to say, it was mortifying to do it because I felt violated in every way possible._

 _Note to self: Once you're out of this bed, kick Leo's ass._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

 _I still can't get out of this bed which sucks. Leo won't talk to me, and I'm sure it's because he knows that I'm going to kick his ass for handcuffing me to the bed. Luckily, Splinter came in, and I made it a point to ask him about what his son had done to me._

" _I am sorry about that, but it was necessary," Splinter replied._

 _I glared at him. "You're okay with this?!" I gasped. But he was a father! Surely he would be against such a horrible thing and would demand that his son remove them!_

" _If it keeps you from doing something drastic, then yes," he responded. His paw cupped my cheek. "I know that you are not happy about this, but it is the only way to protect you from harm. We nearly lost you, and I will not lose someone else that I care about."_

" _I appreciate your concern, Splinter, but I'm not going to go anywhere," I reassured him. "I promise to stay in my bed and do what Donnie says I should do."_

 _Splinter shook his head and patted my hand. "I wish I could believe that, but I do not," he said. "You have risked yourself too much already. This is the only way to protect you."_

" _I don't need protection!" I retorted. "I'm not some damsel in distress!"_

" _No, you are not," he agreed. "You are a reckless being intent on taking risks that you have no right in taking. You are putting yourself in danger so you can prove yourself, but that is not always the best solution."_

" _And, yet, you risked your life to rescue me," I replied. "Why did you do that?"_

" _Because I care about you," Splinter told me._

" _If you care about me, then make your son take these handcuffs off me or authorize it yourself," I demanded._

 _Splinter smiled. "I am sorry, but I cannot do that," he responded. "I will not lose you again."_

" _Then you're lying," I said. "You don't care for me because if you did, you wouldn't have me be cooped up in here with nothing to do. You would tell your son to stuff it and take these cuffs off of me so I can move around and do my business in private with no one watching."_

 _Splinter leveled me with a stare. "You think I do not care for you?" he asked me._

 _I nodded. "Yes, I do," I answered. "You're just doing this to amuse yourself because you like seeing me suffer." I was about to say more, but then it happened before I could register what was going on._

 _Splinter's lips were soft on mine as he kissed me. I was surprised at first, but then I melted into the kiss, letting out a little moan of pleasure. I wanted more, but he pulled back, causing me to emit a sound of protest._

 _He appraised me and smiled. "As you can see, I do care for you," he stated. "I have cared for you since I first met you. As for your request, I will talk to Leonardo about it, but I want your word that you will not go foolishly racing off to face Shredder or the Foot. Do I have your word?"_

 _I nodded. "Yes," I answered. "I won't go after them."_

" _Good. Then I will speak to Leonardo and let him know how it will be."_

 _And with those words, he turned and left me._

 _I lay back on my bed, not knowing what to think. Was he sincere? Had that really happened, or had I dreamed it? And what about what he said? Did he really care about me? Why would he suddenly feel this way?_

 _This is SO not a complication I need right now._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

 _I'm still reeling from what just happened, and my thoughts are going a mile a minute._

 _Splinter kissed me!_

 _He really truly kissed me!_

 _Cynthia had been right all along and I had been blind to all of it. Splinter really did love me, and even though he didn't put it in those words, I knew it was true. It wasn't a lie or something I was imagining. It was completely and utterly real. I pulled out my phone and dialed Cynthia's number. I just had to tell her what was going on._

 _She answered on the second ring. "Willow?"_

" _Hey, how's it going?" I asked._

" _Good. How are you?"_

" _Well, I kind of got into a situation," I answered and told her what had happened at the dojo._

 _She gasped. "Damn, Will! You're lucky you got out of there alive!"_

" _I know. But that's not all that happened."_

" _What else happened?" she asked._

" _Splinter kissed me."_

" _Wait, he actually kissed you?"_

" _Yep. Right on the lips."_

 _Cynthia squealed. "I knew it! I knew I was right! He's got it so bad for you."_

" _Yeah, but this is still complicated," I said to her._

" _Why is that? Don't you like him back?"_

" _Well, that's the problem. I just don't know if I feel that way about him."_

" _You enjoy his company, don't you?"_

 _I nodded. "Yeah, but that's about it. He's nice and all, but I just don't know if I should do this. He's already been in love before."_

" _True, but she's gone now, and I think his wife would want him to move on and be happy," Cynthia pointed out._

" _I just don't want this to go in a bad way," I said. "Splinter may think he loves me, but what if his feelings change? And what if he's only feeling this way because he misses Tang Shen? Then what do I do?"_

" _I don't think it's like that, Will," Cynthia reassured me. "I think Splinter really does care about you. Sure, he may be conflicted about it, but his feelings are real. I saw it the first time I met him and he was looking at you."_

" _He does tend to look at me when I'm practicing katas in the dojo," I noted._

" _See? He likes that about you."_

" _So what should I do?"_

" _I say go for it and see where it leads. If it does end badly, at least you tried to make an effort."_

" _Do you think the Turtles will approve?"_

" _I'm sure they will," Cynthia replied. "They like you, so I think they'd be happy to have you as their mom. And you're tough and don't take shit from anyone, so that's a plus."_

" _Well, we'll see how it goes," I said. "Thanks for the advice, Cyn."_

" _Any time, Will," she replied. "I have to go now. I'll talk to you later."_

" _Talk with you later."_

 _So Cyn has given me some good advice, and I think I'm going to follow it. What harm could it do? And besides, it could lead to something good, and I need that right now. Only time will tell what becomes of it though._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

Willow closed her journal and set it on her nightstand. She was tired of being bed-ridden, but she hoped that maybe Splinter had gotten through to Leo and she would be released from her handcuffs at some point.

As if on cue, she heard footsteps as Leo entered the room.

"Are you here to release me?" Willow asked, giving him her sternest glare.

Leo blushed under her furious gaze. "Yes, and I'm sorry that I did this to you, but I felt I had to do it," he answered. He produced a key and immediately unlocked her cuffs.

Willow massaged her wrist which hurt from being cuffed to the bed for so long. "And why did you feel you had to cuff me to the bed?" she demanded.

"To make sure you didn't do something stupid again," he answered.

"And yet, you think I should accept your apology?"

"I wish you would," he said. "I really had only the best of intentions."

"Sorry, I'm not in the mood to forgive you just yet," she answered crisply. "You'll just have to wait for that. I AM going to kick your ass once I'm cleared to train again because you deserve it."

Leo smiled. "I would expect nothing less," he said with a smile. "You have a fighting spirit and if that helps you relieve your anger, then I'm fine with it."

"You better start getting ready because I'm not going to go easy on you," she told him.

"I know that."

"Then you'd better learn not to piss me off by doing something behind my back!" she said sternly. "And if you ever do this again, an ass kicking in the dojo will be the least of your worries because you'll suffer much worse than that if you screw with me again! Is that clear?"

"Yes, I understand you loud and clear," he answered.

"Good. Tell Mikey I'm ready for lunch."

Leo nodded and left her. She was happy to see that he was still sorry about what he did, but she wasn't ready to forgive him just yet.

22222

 _Well, I'm finally free from my handcuffs, but I made it clear to Leo that if he does anything like that to me again, he'll regret it. I think I scared him with my words, and I hope I did. He needs to learn he can't just do stuff like that without me knowing about it. I know he's sorry for what he did, but it's not going to be easy for me to forgive him. I don't believe in forgiving someone right away after they've done something wrong. They have to prove they're sorry and mean it before I'll forgive them for what they've done. It may sound harsh, but that's the way I am._

 _As for this Splinter thing, I'm not going to tell the boys about it just yet. I figure it will be better to let things just play out and tell them when the time is right and when Splinter thinks it's the right time to tell them. For now, I'm just going to concentrate on getting better and fighting harder than ever before._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter comes to a close. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I think WolfMan will be happy because he/she wanted to know when Splinter and Willow were going to kiss. There you go! It happened! I know it took a long time to build up to that, but now it's a matter of seeing where this will go and if it works out for them. And Leo had better watch out and not make Willow mad again or he'll suffer her wrath! Well, that's all from me. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: A Lesson and a Conversation

A/N: And another chapter is here. I had a bit of trouble naming this one, but the title I have for it sounds fine, so I'm keeping it. This chapter is one I'm excited to be bringing you based on the content, so I hope you like it. Thanks to those who have followed this story and added it to their favorites. At least I know people are reading it. Please don't be shy about leaving feedback as I'd like to know what you think. Even if you think this story is the worst thing ever written, I don't mind if you just say it. Any opinions at all mean the world to me even the negative ones.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Audrey Donnelly, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Willow thought the day would never come, but finally, she was cleared to be out of her prison. She smiled as Donnie gave her the all clear and promised to work on getting better so she could train with them too. And more importantly, so she could enact her revenge on Leo for handcuffing her to the bed. She still hadn't forgotten her promise to him, though he had no idea what she had in store for him.

It took a few weeks, but Willow was finally ready to train properly again and challenged Leo to a sparring match.

"Remember, I did promise I would get you back," she teased.

Leo smiled. "Yeah, you did, and I guess I deserve it," he said.

Splinter and the others watched as Leo and Willow met in the middle of the mat. They bowed to each other and took out their weapons. Leo made a motion for Willow to go first, and she did so. Leo blocked her attack and tried for one of his own, but she deflected it. He swung his sword, but she flipped out of the way and landed on her feet in a crouch. With a snarl, she rushed at Leo, and he back flipped out of the way. Willow knew he was too smart and knew her moves, so she just had to catch him by surprise.

She guided him toward the tree that grew in the center of the dojo, hoping her plan would work. As he neared the tree, she threw a smoke bomb and disappeared from view, landing at the top of the tree. Leo looked around and didn't know where she had gone, which was perfect for her. She sprang from the tree and landed right on his shell, pinning him to the ground. She grabbed a pair of handcuffs from her belt and looped one around his arm then looped the other one around the tree.

Leo gasped as he saw his predicament. "Willow, what are you doing?" he demanded.

"Getting revenge," she answered. "I told you I would get you back, and I did. Consider us even now."

"Okay, you had your fun," Leo said. "Now, can you let me go?"

Willow pretended to think about it. "Nah, I think you should stay there for the rest of the day," she replied.

"But how will I go to the bathroom?" he asked.

She walked out of the dojo and to the infirmary where she returned with a bed pan much like she'd had to use during her convalescence. "You can use this," she said as she set it down by his feet.

He glared at her. "Really?" he grumbled.

She grinned. "Really," she confirmed. "Let this be a lesson to you, Hamato Leonardo. Never piss off a woman, especially a ninja master."

The other Turtles laughed at their brother's plight which caused him to scowl in their direction. Then he appealed to his father.

"Sensei, you surely don't approve of this, do you?"

Splinter smiled. "I must say, my son, I do not see the harm in it," he answered. "You did upset Willow, and it was wrong of you to authorize this."

"But you were fine with it, too!" Leo protested.

He nodded. "Yes, I was, and in that, I was wrong. But I have seen the error of my ways. Hopefully this will teach you to see the error of your ways as well." He turned to Willow. "Willow, would you care to join me for some tea?"

Willow smiled. "I'd like that," she said.

And with that, the two ninja masters left Leo to contemplate the lesson he sorely needed to learn.

22222

"I know I shouldn't have enjoyed that, but I did," Willow said once they were safely in Splinter's quarters.

"Yes, Leonardo has to learn some lessons of his own at times," Splinter said. "He really does try to do well, and I admire how dedicated he is, but he can sometimes be arrogant about his position. It often gives him a rather swelled head."

Willow laughed. "Yeah, I bet it does. Well, at least I was able to show him that he shouldn't mess with me."

Splinter chuckled. "Yes, that is very true." Then his face turned serious.

"Is something wrong, Splinter?" she asked.

"Willow, I brought you in here so that we could talk about what happened between us," Splinter replied.

Willow was confused for a minute but then her brain remembered. "Oh," she said softly. "The kiss."

Splinter nodded. "Yes. Since it happened, I have been meditating on the matter in here."

Willow braced herself. He was going to reject her! He was going to say that it could never work between them because he still loved his wife. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"And what conclusion did you come to?"

"I came to the conclusion that you are a very special being, and I feel that it is time for me to try again and see where this goes. I know that it would not be betraying Tang Shen. She would want me to be happy and to move on if I can. That does not mean you are a replacement for her because no one can replace her in my heart. However, I am willing to try and make this work."

Happiness filled Willow at his words. "Well, I'm glad to hear that," she said. "I did some thinking, too, and I also talked to Cynthia about what happened."

"Oh? And how did that go?"

"It went great. Cynthia said she noticed right away that you liked me, and she asked me how I felt about it."

"And what did you tell her?"

Willow took a deep breath. "I told her I wasn't sure if I felt that way about you," she confessed. "I do like you and think you're great, but I don't know if I can think of you in a romantic sense."

Splinter put his paw on top of hers. "I can understand that," he said softly. "If you do not want to pursue this, then that is fine. We can just be friends if that will make you more comfortable."

"My mom used to tell me something very important," she said. "She always told me that you never know if something is right until you try it and see if you like it. And because of that, I'm willing to give this a try and see where it goes. If it doesn't work out, we can still remain friends because I'm happy to have you in my life, Splinter. You and your sons have been so good to me and have welcomed me into your home. I don't know how I can repay you for that, but I'm willing to do as much as I can to make you happy if that's what you want."

A smile graced Splinter's face at her words. "That is all I ask," he said. He leaned over and kissed her just as he had in the infirmary.

This time the kiss didn't startle her. She melted into it, a content purr rumbling out of her throat. Then a noise caused her to pull back from him.

"Willow, what is it?" he asked.

She put her finger to her lips and motioned to the door. Slowly, she snuck across the floor until she was right by the door itself. With a meaningful look at Splinter, she silently counted to three and flung the door open. Someone yelped and hit the floor hard. Willow and Splinter looked down to see Leo lying on his back, a sheepish look on his face.

Willow glared at him. "How the hell did you escape those cuffs?" she demanded.

Leo smiled. "I picked the lock," he answered. "Donnie taught me how to do it."

"How much of our conversation did you hear?" Splinter asked his son.

Leo blushed. "Most of it," he answered. "So, you guys kissed?"

A snarl ripped out of Willow's throat, and she was ready to pounce on him, but Splinter held her back.

"Yes, Leonardo, we kissed," he answered. "I suppose we cannot hide this from the others for much longer. Leonardo, tell everyone we would like to meet them in the living area. We have something to tell them."

"And don't you DARE tell them before we do!" Willow added.

Leo nodded and bowed before leaving the dojo.

Willow sighed. "Someone really needs to put that boy in his place," she said.

"Welcome to my world," Splinter joked. "Now, I believe we have some news to share."

"Yeah, we do. Let's get this over with."

22222

Willow and Splinter faced the Turtles and Audrey. All of them were sitting with expectant looks on their faces and waiting for whatever news Splinter and Willow had to tell them.

"So, what's this big news you have to tell us?" Raph asked.

Splinter took a deep breath but was unsure how to proceed and glanced at Willow.

"Splinter and I kissed," she blurted.

Mikey gasped. "Are you serious?!" he gasped.

"Very serious," Willow answered.

"When did it happen?" Donnie asked them.

"When I was in the infirmary," Willow replied. "Splinter visited me, told me he cared about me, and he kissed me."

"So, you two locked lips?" Raph asked.

"Yes, Raphael," Splinter told his son. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, it seems weird since you haven't known each other that long," said Raph.

"It happened, and now we're going to see where it leads," said Willow firmly, giving Raph her best glare.

"Does that mean you're going to date, Sensei Willow?" inquired Audrey.

Willow nodded. "Yes, it means we're going to date," she confirmed. "Now, we don't know if it'll work, but we're willing to see where it goes."

"Awesome!" Mikey cheered. "Does that mean I get to call you Mom?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't know if that's a good idea. We're just going to be dating. We aren't married."

Mikey pouted. "But I always wanted a mom," he whined.

Willow sighed. "Okay, if you want to, you can call me Mom."

"Booyakasha!" Mikey cheered. "This calls for a celebration dinner. I'm gonna call Antonio's and get some pizzas for us." He dashed out of the room as quickly as he could.

"What do the rest of you think?" Willow asked the others.

Raph gave her his best stern look. "Look, I don't have a problem with this, but you better treat Sensei right. I don't want you leading him on and then dropping him just because you get tired of him. He's been through enough with losin' Tang Shen, and he doesn't need someone else messin' with his heart, too. You got it?"

"Yes, I understand," Willow answered. "I'll do my best not to hurt him."

"Good because if you do, you'll have to answer to me!" Raph threatened.

"I think it's good that you two will be together," Donnie said. "It just shows that love is possible no matter where you find it. I approve."

"Leo?"

"I hope you two will be happy together," Leo answered. "I think it's a good thing that Sensei has found someone who will make him happy again. He hasn't had that in a long time."

"Well, I have been happy with you, my sons, but I see your point," Splinter conceded.

Audrey ran up and threw her arms around Willow. "I'm so happy for you, Sensei Willow," she said happily. "You deserve some happiness, and Splinter is a good person. He'll treat you right. I know he will."

"Thanks, Audrey," Willow said as she hugged her pupil back.

22222

 _And so, we'll see how this goes. I'm glad the Turtles approve, and I have to laugh at Raph's sentiment. Yeah, I can see him wanting to get back at me if I don't treat his dad right. Makes me more motivated not to do anything wrong with Splinter. Then again, I won't do that because I do like him and want to make this work. I haven't told Cynthia yet, but I will, and I'm sure she'll be over the moon about it. I guess Splinter and I both deserve happiness, so I hope that it will work out for both of us. Let's just hope we don't have to deal with any other craziness. Oh who am I kidding? Of course we're going to deal with craziness! That's the way our lives work! I know we'll get through it though._

 _Well, I'd better get to bed. The students have training tomorrow, and I'm going to be helping Splinter with that._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

 _P.S. For the record, Splinter has a cute butt._

A/N: Yay! Another chapter is done! So at least the Turtles and Audrey approve of the match. Let's just hope it'll work out and that Willow will be able to handle five teenagers! I will also have a one shot called Meditative Contemplation which will discuss how Splinter and Willow both meditate on their decision to date one another. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Mother Knows Best

A/N: I love getting more ideas for this story. I'm having so much fun writing this story and this whole universe. Thanks to those who have read, reviewed, added this to their favorites, and added this to their alert list. It means so much to me that my story and my universe is resonating with you and that you like it so much. That just gives me more fuel to keep going and to continue writing, which is a good thing. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, Audrey Donnelly, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Willow loved reading. She loved getting lost in a book and lost in another world. She had brought some of her books from home with her and had even added to her collection thanks to April and some discarded books thrown in the sewers. Willow couldn't understand why people would want to throw away books, but it was a plus for her because then she got to claim them.

She was just getting settled for a reading session when the Turtles came out to go topside. She marked her place and looked at them.

"Going out for patrol?" she asked.

"No, April invited us to Murakami's," Mikey answered. "You wanna come, Mom?"

Since Willow and Splinter had announced their relationship, Mikey and the others had taken to calling her Mom. It took her some time to get used to it, but she really did enjoy hearing it and thought of herself as a mother to them.

"No thanks," she replied. "I was just going to read. But Leo and Donnie need to stay home."

"Why?" Leo asked her.

"Because the two of you are grounded," she answered.

"Wait, what did WE do?" Donnie asked petulantly.

"Well, Leo's grounded for getting out of the handcuffs, and you're grounded for teaching him to pick a lock."

"But lock picking is an essential tool that will help us on our missions!" Donnie protested. "I had to teach Leo how to do it! And it's not like I told him to pick the lock on the handcuffs! You know I wouldn't do that!"

Willow put a hand to her chin. "Well, okay, I see your point," she conceded. "Donnie, you may join Mikey and Raph, but Leo, you are grounded."

Leo groaned but did as Willow asked and headed to the dojo for some practice.

"Thanks, Mom," Donnie said and headed off with his brothers.

Willow sighed and returned to her reading. Sometimes it was trying to take care of four boys, but the rewards were the best part of it.

"Where are the Turtles, Sensei Willow?" Audrey asked as she came out of their shared room.

"They left to go to Murakami's," Willow told her. "Well, except for Leo because he's grounded."

"I wish they would have invited me along," said Audrey wistfully.

"They probably figured you were busy with schoolwork or something," said Willow.

Even though Audrey wasn't in school anymore, Cynthia had been kind enough to deliver work for her to do so she wouldn't fall behind in her studies. Willow had protested this, saying that she and Splinter could teach Audrey just as well, but Cynthia insisted.

"I'm her teacher for this school year," she stated. "It would be different if she was in another class, but she's not. I can give her the access she needs to the work that's required. Once she passes my class and moves on, then you guys can teach her."

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," Willow conceded. And so it was settled that Cynthia would give Audrey the work she needed. She would also administer tests on the weekend if there was one during the week. So far, Audrey was doing great under this regimen, and she enjoyed spending time with two teachers she admired so much.

Now Audrey sighed. "They could have asked me," she complained.

"I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it," Willow reassured her. "But you can always spend time with Leo if you want."

"I guess I could do that," she relented. "But I hope he won't go too easy on me."

Willow laughed. "I don't think he will. He knows what you can do, and he's proud of you just as I am."

"Thanks, Sensei Willow," said Audrey.

Willow gave her a kind look. "Audrey, before you go, I want to ask you something."

"What is it, Sensei Willow?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to call me Mom like the Turtles do."

"But you're not my mom," Audrey pointed out. "You're my sensei."

"But we're family now, and I'm the closest thing you have to a mom," Willow replied. "I don't think it would do any harm."

Audrey shook her head. "No, I don't think it would be right. I have a mom."

"But your mom is dead now," Willow gently reminded her.

Audrey glared at her. "Maybe she is, but she's my angel now, and she'll always be my mom. I like you, Sensei Willow, but I can't call you Mom."

Willow could see this was distressing her and decided to let the matter drop. "Okay. If that's how you feel, I understand."

"Thank you, Sensei Willow," she said. She bowed to her and headed to the dojo to train with Leo.

Willow smiled and returned to her book. She definitely understood where Audrey was coming from, and she wasn't going to force the issue. But despite this, she still felt as though Audrey was her daughter now, and she was going to do all she could to protect her.

22222

"I can't believe this!" Raph grumbled.

"What's wrong, Raph?" Willow asked her rebellious son.

"Casey went and got himself detention for fighting again! We were supposed to hang out together tonight!"

"Well, how about if you hang out with me?" Willow suggested.

Raph wrinkled his beak. "No offense, Mom, but I don't think hanging out with you is a good idea," he said.

"And why is that?" Willow inquired, pretending to look hurt. "Are you too cool to hang out with your mother? Or is it that you don't think I'm cool enough to hang with you?"

Raph blushed at her words. "It's not any of that. It's just that I was countin' on hanging with Casey is all."

"I know, but I think the two of us spending time together will be a good thing," Willow told him. "It'll give us a chance to bond a little."

Raph sighed. "Well, I guess you're right about that. Okay, let's do this."

Willow smiled. "I'm right behind you."

The two of them had fun as they patrolled the rooftops. They managed to stop five muggings with Willow acting as the decoy while Raph got the jump on the muggers. They made a great team, and Willow could see that Raph really enjoyed hanging out with her despite his earlier reluctance to have her come along. They continued patrolling the streets and soon ran into a familiar figure.

"Well, look who the sewers dragged out," Slash teased as he spotted them. "Raphael, good to see you, brother. What brings you out here?"

Raph looked down, his toe scuffing the roof. "Just hanging out with my mom," he replied.

Slash smiled. "That's awesome. It's nice to see a mother and son bonding together. How are you doing, Willow?"

"Great," she answered. "Raph originally wanted to hang with Casey, but he got in trouble for fighting, so I suggested that I accompany him tonight."

"Good call," Slash said. "You never know what sort of trouble Raph will get into."

Raph glared at his former pet. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"It means that you're a magnet for trouble, Raph," Slash answered. "Everyone knows that. At least, everyone who knows you knows that."

"Don't make jokes about this, okay?" Raph ordered.

Slash held up his hands in a peaceful gesture. "No jokes here," he promised. "I think if I did, Willow would kick my ass, right?"

Willow smiled, showing her teeth. "You've got that right," she said. "So what brings you out here, Slash?"

"Just taking some time by myself," Slash answered. "Jack's been really busy lately. I don't really know what he's doing, but he seems frantic."

"Why would he be frantic?" Willow asked him.

"I don't know yet," Slash replied. "But once I find out, I'll let you know."

"Sounds good," Willow said. "Well, we'd better get going. Raph has training in the morning."

Raph blushed. "Yeah, Splinter's really strict on the training thing."

"No problem," Slash said. "It was nice to see the both of you. Catch you later." He waved to them and leaped to another rooftop.

Willow watched him go. "Someone needs to teach him some ninjutsu skills," she noted.

"I don't know if he'd go for that," Raph said. "But you can try if you want."

"I think I will," Willow declared. "Are you okay? Sorry if I embarrassed you out there."

Raph waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Nah, you're good," he lied.

Willow's eyes narrowed. "Raphael, I can tell you're lying," she said.

"How can you tell?"

"You just looked down," she replied. "You always do that when you lie. And I noticed that you looked down and scuffed your toe, which you do when you're embarrassed."

Raph wasn't too surprised about this. Willow seemed to know a lot about them. "It's no big deal,' he said. "Parents are supposed to embarrass their kids at least once."

"Well, I'm sorry I did it, and I'll try not to do it again," she promised. Her eyes landed on a group of pigeons who were walking on the roof. "Hey, Raph, have you ever thought about maybe getting a pet pigeon? You're always so good with them?"

"Nah. That's too much poop for me," he replied.

Willow laughed and hugged him. Then the two of them headed home so they could get some rest. It may have been different, but Willow enjoyed hanging out with Raph and hoped that they'd get to do it again.

When they reached the Lair, Raph turned and smiled at Willow. "Hey, Mom, thanks for hangin' out with me," he said. "I really did enjoy it, and I hope that we can do it again."

Willow smiled back and nuzzled her son. "Of course we can do it again," she said. "See you in the morning, Tiger." She watched as Raph headed to his room and then returned to her own room, feeling happy about the day's events. It was nice to get some time with her son and to see him so happy to be with someone who wasn't Casey Jones. As much as she liked the boy, she sometimes felt he was a bad influence on Raph and that he needed to spend time with someone other than Casey at times. With one last smile, Willow drifted off to sleep.

22222

"Mikey, where are you going?" Willow asked.

"I'm taking Audrey skateboarding," Mikey answered.

"You know she can't do that, right?"

"Don't worry, Sensei Willow, I'm just going to watch," Audrey reassured her.

Something in Willow told her that this wasn't right, but she knew that Mikey would keep Audrey safe. "Okay, but just watch, okay? No trying the tricks on your own."

"I promise," Audrey said.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll keep her safe," Mikey reassured her.

Willow nodded and watched as the two left. She wanted to go with them, but at the same time, she knew she had to have faith in Mikey and Audrey that they could handle themselves. She didn't want to be one of those helicopter parents who constantly worried about their children and felt they had to oversee everything they did all of the time. Having settled this, she returned to her book and got lost once more in the realm of Narnia.

One hour later, Mikey and Audrey returned, and by the look of things, something was wrong.

"What happened?" Willow asked as she watched Mikey support a limping Audrey into the Lair.

"Audrey tried one of the tricks and fell," answered Mikey. "Don't worry, Mom. It's just a bruised knee."

"I told you not to try the tricks!" Willow lectured. "How could you have let her do it, Mikey?"

"Well, I told her not to, but then she gave me the puppy dog eyes, and I couldn't resist. I had her go slowly and then she thought she could do it, so she tried it and fell."

Willow sighed in exasperation. "And I'm sure she learned those puppy dog eyes from you," she accused.

"Maybe," Audrey said.

"Okay, take Audrey to the infirmary so Donnie can look at her while I tell Splinter what happened," Willow instructed. "You two are definitely grounded for disobeying me." She went to the dojo and reported to Splinter about what had transpired. Splinter shook his head and went to the infirmary to check on Audrey who seemed to be okay despite her bruised knee. Leo was furious and was lecturing Mikey.

"She could have gotten seriously hurt, Mikey," he scolded. "It was your job to take care of her."

"It was an accident, Leo," Mikey protested.

"You still should have refused her when she asked you," Leo told him.

"Michelangelo, for disobeying your mother you will have to do fifteen flips and clean the dojo for a month. You will not be allowed to watch television or play video games, and no comics as well."

"Audrey, for being so stupid as to try one of those tricks, you will also do fifteen flips and write an essay about how you should always listen to your sensei," Willow said.

"Ah, I forgot about the essay," Splinter said. "I think Michelangelo should write one as well on why he should have been more responsible and not have let Audrey get her way."

"Hai, Sensei," both offenders said.

With this settled, Willow retreated to the dojo to work on some moves. She was getting better at adjusting to her new mutant form, but it was still difficult at times to not trip on her tail or to brush someone with it. Splinter had taught her a few maneuvers he'd learned himself to avoid his tail, and they seemed to work just fine. As she went through kata after kata, her anger began to subside, and she felt a little guilty at herself for not going with Mikey and Audrey to make sure they stayed out of trouble.

"You cannot blame yourself," a voice said.

Willow turned to see Splinter standing in the doorway. "Who says I'm blaming myself?" she asked him.

"I just know," he answered. "You are blaming yourself for not going with them and protecting them. However, you cannot act like it is your fault. You laid down the rules, and it is their fault for disobeying them."

"But maybe if I had been there, I could have prevented it," she said.

"Perhaps or perhaps they would have done it anyway," said Splinter. "I know how it feels to want to blame yourself for things that are not in your control, but you have to learn that not everything that happens is your fault."

"I'm sure you've blamed yourself for things," Willow pointed out.

He nodded. "I have, but I learned not to. I blamed myself for when they encountered Shredder, but I knew that at some point it would have happened anyway. I blamed myself after I found out Leonardo had gotten attacked and badly injured, but there was nothing I could have done about it as I was not in my right mind at the time. I took comfort in the fact that he was taken care of and that he healed from it. In this case, I think the best advice I can give you, Willow, is that you must find the reassurance that you seek."

"Well, Audrey was hurt, but at least it was just a bruised knee," Willow said.

"And does that make you feel better?" Splinter asked her.

Willow nodded. "Yeah, it does," she said. "Thanks for that."

"You are very welcome," Splinter said. "Now let us spar together."

Willow smiled and allowed Splinter to make the first move. She felt better about all of this and reminded herself that sometimes there were things that happened that you couldn't control and you had to look for the good in every bad thing that did happen. She promised herself she would do this from now on no matter what the situation was.

22222

Willow flowed into the kata seamlessly and smiled as she made no mistakes. This was getting easier and easier for her to do, and she was happy that she had finally adjusted to her mutation and adapted to change her movements. Splinter had even complimented her on her good form, and that had made her feel good.

A sudden movement caused her to whirl around, her katana clashing with another one. She blinked as she faced Leo, and he smiled at her.

"Good reaction time, Mom," he said. "I wish Mikey would have a better reaction time. He tends to be thinking about different pizza toppings and cats."

Willow smiled. "It all comes with being a master, Leo," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but you've still had to adapt to some changes," Leo reminded her. "Do you mind if I spar with you?"

"Sure," she said. "Let's see if you can best me this time."

They took a stance and began their session. Leo thrust at Willow, but she parried his attack and tried to send him on his back. He countered that and kipped up just the way Shawn Michaels used to do in the ring after someone would knock him on his back. Willow knew he had probably learned that move from watching WWE, and it made her smile. Sensing her distraction, Leo flicked her tail so it hit her, causing her to be startled and knocked off balance. Leo used the distraction to pin her to the mat.

Leo grinned down at her. "A ninja should always be focused, Mom," he lectured.

She glared at him. "I was focused," she insisted.

"No, you were distracted," he answered. "I could see it in your eyes. You were admiring the move I made. What were you thinking about?"

"I was just amazed you knew that move," she answered. "Did you learn it from watching wrestling?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I always thought that move was cool, so I studied it and practiced it. I just figured it would be a good thing to learn in case I needed it."

"I'm impressed," she praised. "Are there any other wrestling moves you've been studying?"

"Yeah, a lot of them," he said. "I'm not sure how useful they'll be though. Raph once put Mikey in Daniel Bryan's Yes Lock, but that was because Mikey had pranked him. He tapped out though, so Raph released the hold."

"And did Splinter catch him doing this?"

"Yep. Mikey got punished for pranking Raph and Raph got punished for using the move by being banned from watching WWE for a month."

Willow smiled. "I used to want to practice the moves, too. Actually, there was one time where my friend dared me to try and put The Diamond Cutter on him."

"Did you do it?"

Willow nodded. "I did, and he was impressed with how I got it right. We used a mat though so it was safe. I know it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I really did enjoy trying it out."

"I've always wanted to try that move," said Leo. "It always looked so cool. Do you think maybe we could try it?"

Willow shook her head. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea," she said. "That could be very dangerous."

"But maybe it would be cool to try," Leo begged.

"I'm not going to teach you that move, Leo. It's just not a good idea. But I'll spar with you again sometime if you want to."

Leo nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome. I just wish you hadn't hit me in the tail."

Leo laughed. "A ninja must use whatever he can find to his advantage," he stated. "I saw your tail, so I thought it would be good to distract you with it, and it worked."

"Fair enough, but I am going to get you back somehow," Willow vowed.

Leo smiled. "I know, and I'll be ready for it. See you later, Mom." He bowed to her and left to go watch some TV.

"You had better be," Willow said softly. Then she left the dojo to prepare dinner for everyone.

22222

Willow stopped by Donnie's lab where he was working on his computer. She really didn't want to interrupt, but there was something she really wanted to ask him. As soon as he paused in his typing, she knocked on his door.

"Oh, hi, Mom," Donnie said. "Can I help you with something?"

"Donnie, I need you to teach me first aid," she said.

"Mom, you already know first aid," he pointed out. "Didn't you learn as an instructor?"

She nodded. "I know basic stuff, but I want to know other stuff in case I need to help you guys out."

"All of the others know enough to help out," he reassured her.

"But what if there comes a time where all of you are injured?" she asked him.

"Then Sensei can help," Don answered. "That's always what we did before."

Willow glared at him. "Donnie, I can help out," she insisted. "Can you please just teach me so I can help?"

Donnie sighed. "Okay, I guess I can teach you what you should know," he relented. He shut down his computer and led her to the infirmary. "Now, what is it you want to know?"

"I think being able to set a broken bone is a good start," she answered.

"Okay, I'll teach you, but it won't be easy," he answered. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Willow let out an exasperated sigh. "Just teach me before I kick your ass," she threatened.

"Duly noted," Don said and they began the lesson.

Over the next few days, Willow went to Donnie for instructions on certain things and she was amazed at everything Donnie seemed to know and how he'd learned all of it, too. She listened to his instructions and followed them to the letter. And as she kept doing what he asked, she became more confident that she'd be able to help her family if they ever encountered trouble.

"Very good, Willow," he said. "You could have been an EMT."

"Nah, martial arts is my thing," she answered. "But thank you, Donnie. I'm glad I can do this and help out."

"No problem, Mom. I'm always glad to help you." He hugged her and then went back to his lab to resume one of his projects.

Willow went to her room and smiled as she recalled all that she had learned. Yes, she would definitely have the knowledge to help in a crisis, and that was all that was needed. And she had the feeling that it would be needed sooner rather than later.

22222

 _I really like spending time with the boys. They are such unique individuals and each of them has something special I just love. I know that I have to protect them, and that I have to make sure they don't get hurt. However, this is the life they have chosen, and I have to do all I can to remember that even though I will do what I can to save them from whatever or whoever tries to hurt them. But I love how they respect me and allow me to spend time with them. It's something I've never had before, and I cherish it each day._

 _My eyes are getting droopy. Time for me to go to bed._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: Whoa! Eighteen pages! I never expected this to be that long, but it is. I was going to do something else with this chapter, but it became long enough, so I decided to leave it here. I will do the other thing I planned in the next chapter instead. Oh, and The Diamond Cutter is a wrestling move my number one favorite wrestler, Diamond Dallas Page used to do when he wrestled. He's retired now and does yoga instead, but it's a good business for him. And the Yes Lock was one of Daniel Bryan's moves that he used to do. He recently retired as well, but I thought you guys would want to know about those moves. If you get time, feel free to look up the videos for those moves so you can see how they're done. And remember, don't EVER try wrestling moves at home. It's not safe. Please feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Boiling Point

A/N: And here we come to another chapter. I know I keep repeating myself, but I really am happy to be writing about this universe and happy to know that others enjoy it as well. This chapter will mostly consist of a journal entry, but there will be a part where it's the regular story. Sometimes I like changing it up. Thanks to those who have read, reviewed, followed, and added this to their favorites list. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Don't be shy to leave some feedback if you want. That helps me, too.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, Audrey Donnelly, and any other characters not associated with TMNT. On with the show!

 _I am going to kill Karai._

 _I don't care if she's Splinter's daughter. I don't care if Leo cares about her more than life itself. I don't care that she was under Shredder's control at the time. She still committed a great offense to this family by kidnapping and attempting to torture my sons._

 _It all started like any other night. The Turtles went on patrol while Splinter and I spent some time together just talking about basic stuff. I did have a bad feeling, but I waved it off as nothing. I left briefly to make sure Audrey had her homework done and watched some TV with her before she went to bed. Then the call came, and I gasped as I heard the voice through the cheese phone._

 _It was Karai!_

 _She told Splinter she had the Turtles and that he had to come to her. He listened to her threats and then hung up the phone after she talked to him._

" _Don't go," I begged. "It's a trap."_

" _I have to save my sons," Splinter replied. "They are in danger, and they need me."_

" _I'm going with you," I declared._

" _No!" he barked. "It is too dangerous! You will stay here with Audrey."_

 _I shook my head. "No, I have to go. I have to help them. They're my sons, too."_

 _That drew him up short and he sighed. "Yes, I suppose you are right. But who will watch Audrey?"_

 _I called Slash, and he came over to take care of my student. I thanked him and headed out with Splinter._

 _I don't really remember much of the fight. I was too hyped up on adrenaline to really register everything. But I do remember Splinter squaring off with Karai. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but I recognized the chant. It was the Healing Hands Mantra, the same chant he had taught Leo and me. At one point, Karai fell into the pipe and was washed down. Splinter was devastated, but he knew there was no saving her. We packed it up and headed home._

 _When we got home I immediately began checking over the Turtles for injuries. Raph was burning up from being exposed to heat, so I ordered that he be placed in the bathtub to cool down. Leo did just that and stayed with him. He had a strange look on his face, and I think he was remembering the time that the roles were reversed as Raph watched over him while he was in the bathtub. While this was happening, I checked on Donnie who had been electrocuted many times in his torture. He seemed okay, but I knew I had to check on him to make sure. Mikey was fine but tired, so he headed to bed._

 _Now Mikey's having a nightmare. I'll be right back while I tend to him._

 _Mikey's asleep now. He told me about the nightmare and how he dreamed that he was mutated into a girl turtle with enormous shell boobs and how his brothers suddenly found him attractive as a girl. I reassured him that he was safe and that he had to lay off reading the weird fan fiction because it was rotting his brain. He assured me that it wasn't THAT weird and that it was actually kind of hilarious to read something like that. Then I sang him a lullaby and he fell asleep, mumbling something about pizzas and cats._

 _Did I mention that I'm going to kill Karai?_

 _I know Splinter won't like the idea, but she has to be stopped. There's no saving her now. She has tried to hurt the Turtles too many times, and it needs to end here. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to protect the ones you love. If that means I have to kill her, I will do it. It won't be pretty, and I know Splinter will probably hate me, but she has pissed me off with what she has done. If there's one thing you don't do, it's piss me off by trying to hurt my loved ones. And I know that if I allow her to live, she will just continue this cycle. She will continue to hurt my loved ones until they are dead at her feet. I can't allow that to happen, and I won't allow that to happen._

 _Karai will pay._

 _I had better get to sleep. I just hope the Turtles will be okay and that they won't suffer from this. And if they do, then it's all the more reason for me to hunt down that bitch and make her pay. Rest easy, Karai. It won't be long before you meet your end._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

Willow attacked the punching bag, imagining that it was one of her most hated enemies. She imagined that it was the woman who had caused her sons pain. Her attacks became more heated as she pummeled the bag with kicks and punches.

"Whoa, settle down there, Mom," Leo said. "You might break the bag."

"If I can break the bag, maybe I can break a certain kunoichi's nose," she replied.

"Why are you mad at April?" Leo asked her.

Willow turned around and glared at her son. "I'm not angry at April, and you know it," she answered. "I'm angry at the one who tortured you. She has to pay, Leo. She can't get away with that."

"She wasn't in her right mind, Mom," Leo protested. "Shredder mind controlled her. Do you really think she would have done that if she'd been in her right mind?"

"Does it matter? All that matters is that she did it, and I want revenge on her."

"Sometimes revenge is not the answer," a voice said as Splinter came from his quarters.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who's in a feud with a man who was once his best friend," she retorted.

"That was Saki's doing, not mine!" he replied.

"It's the same thing!" she countered. "I won't let Karai get away with what she did!"

"She is my daughter!" Splinter yelled. "You will not harm her!"

"So you're just going to let her get away with hurting your sons? She nearly killed them, Splinter! She wants to kill you, too! She wants to see all of you suffer!"

"No, I do not believe it! There is good in her! She knows who we are! She loves us!"

"But what if you didn't heal her? What if she's still out there plotting revenge?"

"Then we will try and reach her," he answered.

"I won't try and reach her, Splinter. She needs to be stopped."

"Killing is not the answer," he replied. "And how could you do that to me? You know I love her. She is the only daughter I have."

Willow's face softened. "I know that, Splinter, but she's hurt you and the Turtles too many times. When does it end? Do we wait for her to kill someone before we realize her intent? Or do we stop it before she can hurt someone else?"

Splinter sighed. "I understand you are angry, but you are misguided in how to prevent it. You do not need to kill her. She is not the problem. Shredder is the one who did this to her. He is the one to blame, not her."

"She was kidnapped, Mom," Leo interjected. "She had no control over what happened."

"How do you know she wasn't coerced to go to Shredder?"

"Because Karai wouldn't do that," Leo answered. "She's not like that, Mom. She knows who her true family is. She escaped us to prevent us from getting hurt by her venom. She knew she was out of control and had no control of her mutation. She didn't want to harm us in the process, so she left."

Willow knew her son was astute, and she knew he wouldn't lie to her about anything. "Fine," she relented. "I won't seek revenge on her."

Splinter breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," she answered.

But she knew where her revenge was aimed at, and she was now going to kill Shredder before he could hurt anyone ever again.

22222

Once again, Willow was on a mission. She knew she'd catch it from the others for this, but she didn't care. She was tired of the endless battles. She was tired of worrying about her sons every night they went out. This was going to end tonight, and she was going to do it herself. She wasn't even going to involve the Mutanimals either. This was her mission, and she was going to achieve it.

She stood on a roof not far from Foot Headquarters. This was it. This was the night where it would all end. Shredder would no longer bother her family, and they would all be at peace.

"I cannot believe you are going to do this, my love," a voice said.

Willow whirled around and saw Splinter standing there, a stern look on his face. "How did you find me?" she gasped.

"I sensed you were not in the Lair, so I tracked you by your scent," he answered.

"I don't see why this is your concern," she said. "You were the one who said Shredder had to pay."

"Yes, I did, but not in this manner of foolishly and blindly running in without a plan," he countered.

"I have a plan," she replied. "I'm going to go in there and kill him."

Splinter chuckled. "That is easier said than done, and you know that. Shredder will not be taken by surprise. He has many others who work for him and will try to take you down. You saw how they mutated you before. This time, they will not hesitate to kill you."

"They can try, but I'm sure I can take them down," she told him. "But if you want to come with me, that would be fine, too. We can both rid the world of the menace that has plagued our family."

Splinter hesitated as he weighed her words. "I know how you feel," he said gently. "Some part of me wants to be rid of Shredder for good. Some part of me wants to join you in this battle. However, I know it is selfish of me to do so. I have my sons to think about, and you have them as well as Audrey and Cynthia to think about. If you die, what is to become of Audrey?"

"Wouldn't you take care of her?" she asked.

"I would do all I could, but I think she would be devastated by your loss," he responded. "Please, my love, come home with me. We will defeat Shredder in time, but we must have a plan. My first priority is to bring my daughter home, and after that, we can take Shredder down. I have already lost a loved one once before. If you love me, please do not be the second one who falls by Saki's hand." He fixed his eyes on her, pleading for her to see sense.

Willow gazed into his imploring eyes and knew that he was right. She couldn't be selfish now no matter how much she wanted to be. She did have to think of him and the others. They needed her, too. "Okay, I'll come home," she answered as she took his hand.

"Thank you," he whispered. He leaned in and kissed her, and she responded in kind. The kiss was short but still wonderful. Then they pulled back and headed back home to the family who awaited them.

22222

"You went out again?" Leo asked Willow.

"Yes, but Splinter helped me to see how selfish that was," she replied. "I'm sorry for doing that. It was wrong of me."

"Now, Mom, it's not a good idea to act like me," Raph lectured.

Mikey giggled. "Yeah, one Raph is plenty around here," he teased. Raph bapped his head, and he winced. "Ow! Raph, what was that for?"

"For being a dork," Raph answered.

"I think it's a good idea you didn't go out," Don said. "That was not a very good idea on your part."

"I know, and I won't do it again. I guess I just got carried away with protecting you guys because I love you."

Mikey gave her a hug. "We love you, too, Mom," he said as he kissed her cheek.

She nuzzled him and licked his cheek, earning a laugh from the freckled Turtle. "Now, I'd better get dinner started." She hurried to the kitchen followed by Mikey.

"Hey, is that pizza gyoza?" Mikey asked as he watched her put some food in a skillet.

She shook her head. "No, they're pierogies," she replied. "I thought it would be neat to have something a bit different. They have cheese and potatoes stuffed in them."

"Are they good?" he asked her.

She smiled. "You'll have to eat them to find out," she replied.

Once the food was done, she set out plates for all of them. The Turtles eyed this new food with curiosity, but Leo was brave enough to take a bite out of a pierogie.

"Wow, this is good," he said.

"Thanks," Willow said.

"Where did you get these, Sensei Willow?" asked Audrey.

"Just from Wal-Mart," she answered. "I've had them before."

"They are very good," Splinter commented.

"I'm glad you like them," she said. "So, am I forgiven for my transgression?"

"What's that mean?" Mikey asked.

"It means her mistake," Donnie explained.

Splinter smiled. "Yes, I believe you have been forgiven for that," he said. He leveled her with a stern look. "Just do not do it again."

She held up her hand. "I promise not to do it again," she replied.

"That is good to hear, my love," Splinter said.

"Can I have more of these?" Mikey asked.

"Sorry, Mikey, but I don't have any more," Willow told him.

"Can I have some of Leo's?"

"No, I'm eating these," Leo said.

Mikey innocently reached for Raph's plate, but Raph pulled out his sai. "Touch the plate and die, Mikey," he threatened.

"Care to share, Donnie?" Mikey asked, giving his brother his puppy dog eyes.

"No," Don answered.

"No fair," Mikey pouted.

"Sometimes you have to learn that you can't get your way, Michelangelo," Willow lectured. "You have to accept that and deal with it. I'll make more another time, okay?"

Mikey sighed. "Okay," he said resignedly.

With that matter settled, they finished dinner and had a quick evening training session. Willow was glad everyone had forgiven her for what she'd almost done, and she realized how stupid it was of her to do it. If she had carried out her plan, she knew she probably wouldn't be there with all of them but dead upon the ground by Shredder's hand. Shaking that thought from her head, she began teaching Audrey some new moves and complimenting her on them.

22222

 _Well, I've learned my lesson yet again. I really do have to stop being so impulsive because it's going to bet me in trouble one of these days. I have to lead by example, and if I keep doing this, then Raph will get worse and think this is the right thing to do when it isn't. I had fun today though, and I love how Audrey is progressing. I just wish I could see my other students! I miss them so much! I miss a lot of things now, but there's not much I can do about that. This is the life I have now, and I have to take it as it comes. But at least I have others who understand and who love me for who I am. That's all I really need right now. I had better get to bed now._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: So at least Willow didn't go after Shredder. I know she sounded kind of harsh about Karai, but you have to understand that she's just mad at what happened to the guys and she wanted to protect them from Karai at all costs. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Oh, and pierogies are really good. You should try them. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Hell on Earth

A/N: So here's the next chapter in this saga. I know it's been a while, but I did have other stories I was working on and that sort of took up my time. However, this chapter has come to me, and I'm going to do it. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this tale and that you have such faith in my writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, Audrey Donnelly, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

"I just don't understand it," Willow said.

Cynthia regarded her curiously. "What don't you understand?" she asked.

"I don't understand why Splinter's defending his daughter's actions," Willow replied.

"Well, you DID threaten to kill her," Cynthia pointed out.

"She nearly killed the Turtles!" Willow snapped. "Don't you think that bitch deserves to die?"

"She wasn't in her right mind though," Cynthia reminded her. "If she had been, she probably wouldn't have tried to hurt them."

Willow sighed in exasperation. "Not you, too, Cyn," she groaned.

Cynthia shrugged. "Just stating a fact," she answered.

They were seated at Cynthia's kitchen table drinking cups of tea. Willow had been so furious at Splinter for defending his daughter's actions that she had left the Lair and decided to crash at Cynthia's for the night. She had hoped that maybe her friend would understand her anger at Karai and why she wanted to kill the kunoichi for trying to hurt her sons. However, it seemed Cynthia was jointly on Team Splinter, and that didn't sit well with Willow at the moment.

"I just don't get why you have to defend him," said Willow.

"Because he has a point," answered Cynthia. "You know it and I know it. Karai's his only daughter, and he wants her back in his life. He knows she's mind controlled right now and that's why she did what she did. I'm sure that once she's cured and hears of what she tried to do, she'll regret it and feel remorse."

"But what if she doesn't?" There were times Willow felt that maybe this whole mind control thing wasn't all that was wrong with Karai. Maybe Shredder really had brainwashed her, and if that was the case then there would probably be no going back. She would have to die.

"I'm sure she will," said Cynthia. "From what you've told me about her, she seems like a smart girl. Leo trusts her, doesn't he?"

Willow smiled. "I think Leo is a bit biased in that department."

"But he has a good judgment of character," Cynthia pointed out. "If he trusts her, then that should be the end of it."

Willow frowned. "Sometimes I think Leo is a bit too trusting of people. He's so desperate to be a hero and to save others that he often doesn't think straight."

"I think he just wants Karai to come back to them," said Cynthia.

Willow sighed. "Maybe so, but I'm still mad at her for what she did."

"Will you go back and talk to Splinter about it?"

"No, I'm not going to argue with him about any of it. It's not worth it. If he wants to continue to defend her, that's his business, but I'm not going to forgive her for what she almost did."

Cynthia nodded and they lapsed into silence for a few minutes.

"So, how's school going?" Willow asked her, desperate to change the subject.

"It's good," Cynthia replied. "The students are doing so well. Audrey seems to be happier, too."

"Yeah, she is," Willow said. "She loves school and loves how you teach her."

"It seems like she's adjusting to life in the sewers, too."

"I think she is. She definitely has fun with the Turtles, and they've really taken a shine to her. Even Raph has admitted he likes her."

Cynthia gasped and made a horrified face. "Raph likes her? Well, now we have to see if the world is ending!"

Both women laughed at that, and it felt good. It felt like old times when Willow's life was normal and not filled with drama.

Suddenly, Willow's phone rang and she picked it up. "Hello?" she said.

"Willow, it's April," April said.

"April, what's wrong?" Willow asked.

"We need your help," April replied. "The Triceratons are invading. Please hurry!"

"What was that about?" Cynthia asked as Willow hung up.

"Someone's invading Earth again," Willow answered. "I have to go and help out."

"Should I come, too?"

"No, you need to stay here. I'll see you soon."

"Be careful, Will," Cynthia said.

"I'll try, Cyn," Willow answered. She gathered her things and left her friend's apartment. As she ran, she wasn't sure what was going to happen or why it was happening. All she knew was that she was needed. She met April who had already gathered the Mighty Mutanimals and Splinter. Willow tried not to look at him as she focused on April.

"What's up?" she asked.

April explained about how Raph had met a Triceraton named Zog and how he'd unleashed a signal that sent the other Triceratons after them. "We need to stop them," she said.

Willow nodded. "I think we can help," she said. "Lead the way."

April ran and the others followed her. When they arrived, they found the Turtles squaring off against the Triceratons and jumped into the fray. Willow engaged in a battle, but the dinosaur was definitely bigger than her. She managed a few hits but not much more than that as the huge beast knocked her to the ground. She jumped back up and tried again, but kept getting knocked back down. Slash was trying to destroy some device they had brought with them, but nothing would damage it. She saw Mikey step on a Triceraton's tail and cried out when he was taken away.

Splinter ordered a retreat and so they left to regroup. Willow was frantic as she thought of Mikey and how he must be feeling. He was probably terrified.

"What are we going to do?" Willow cried.

"We have to get Mikey back," Leo said.

"Go find your brother," Splinter said. "We must ally ourselves with someone other than the Mighty Mutanimals."

"Who, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"The Shredder," Splinter replied.

Willow glared at him. "Are you nuts, Splinter?" she cried. "Do you really think Shredder will ally with us? He hates you and hates the Turtles, too."

"We must do what we can to save this planet, and Shredder can aid us," answered Splinter. "You, April, and I will go to his fortress and get him."

"By ourselves?" asked April. "You're kidding, right, Sensei?"

But Splinter wasn't kidding at all. They split up and headed to Shredder's headquarters. Splinter suggested that April go in first, but Willow vetoed this.

"They'll kill her if she does this," she insisted. "Let me go first."

"No," Splinter said firmly. "April has proven herself many times. She can do this, and we will not be far behind her."

Willow let out a hiss to express her displeasure, but Splinter ignored her and ordered April to go in. The girl did so, and then Splinter motioned for Willow to go in next. She thought about disobeying and telling Splinter to stuff it, but she knew now was not the time for argument. She saw April being accosted by Bebop, but Splinter intervened before the warthog could hurt the girl. Shredder appeared and demanded to know what they were doing there. Splinter explained their reasoning, and Shredder laughed and demanded to know where Karai was. Splinter said that she was gone, and Shredder stated that he was lying. April reiterated that Splinter was telling the truth and that if he cared about her at all he would help save the world.

Shredder agreed, and he and his forces joined Willow, Splinter, and April. They engaged the Triceratons, and Willow had to admit that they were definitely helping with the battle. The Turtles reappeared and helped even the odds, much to Willow's relief. Splinter saw that the device was counting down and hurried to stop it. But just as he was about to stop the device, Shredder made his move and stabbed Splinter in the back with his gauntlets.

Willow and the Turtles looked on in shock and then cried out as Splinter's body crumpled in a heap. Willow snarled and was ready to lunge at Shredder to rip his throat out, but April let out a psychic blast, knocking Shredder off of his feet and making him fly across the park. The Turtles and Willow rushed to Splinter's side and held his dead body. There was no life in him, and Willow couldn't believe that this had happened.

The wind blew harder as the device kicked on and a hole opened, swirling and devouring everything in its path. The Turtles held onto objects as did April and Casey, but Willow didn't want to leave Splinter.

Suddenly, a ship came out of nowhere and landed. The door opened and a robot stepped out.

"Hurry!" he yelled. "We haven't much time!"

"Do we trust him?" Donnie asked.

"Do we have a choice? April countered.

Willow watched as her sons, April, and Casey ran toward the ship. Leo looked back and saw that she was still by Splinter.

"Mom, come on!" he yelled. "You have to come with us!"

But Willow couldn't move. She couldn't force herself to leave Splinter.

Then a voice called, "Sensei Willow!" Willow looked up to see Audrey running toward them though she was having trouble because of the force of the black hole. Making her choice, Willow ran to her student and grabbed her. Then she and Audrey ran for the ship and climbed on along with the Turtles and their human friends. The ship took off, and Willow watched as everything she ever knew was sucked into the black hole along with Splinter's body. The ship strained against the force and then made it out of there just in time.

"Who are you?" Willow demanded of the robot.

"My name is Professor Zayton Honeycutt, and you are about to go off on an amazing adventure," he replied.

Casey proclaimed that the prospect of going on an adventure was awesome, but Willow didn't share his sentiment. Everything had been taken away, and Splinter was dead. There was nothing even remotely awesome about any of this. She collapsed and started sobbing for everything that had been lost, and she wondered what was going to happen next.

A/N: And that's the end of that chapter. No journal entry in this one since she doesn't have a journal after escaping. I've already planned a one shot that's set after this chapter, so I hope to get that out soon. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Far From Home

A/N: Well, this chapter came to me pretty quickly, so that's a good thing in and of itself. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. I hope you enjoy this chapter. And I know there was a Guest review, but I'll respond to that at the end of the chapter since it was a bit of a lengthy review and I have a lengthy response in return that I'd rather do it at the end so it doesn't take up too much space for those who want to read the story. This chapter has references to the one shot Suicide Mission as this chapter takes place directly after said one shot.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Audrey Donnelly, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Willow's heart was thumping as she followed Leo out of her room and to the main part of the ship. The other Turtles, April, Casey, and Audrey were there as well, and guilt filled Willow as she looked at them and remembered what she'd almost done. Leo seemed to sense her guilt and squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. Willow smiled at him sadly and took her place next to Audrey.

"So, do you have a solution?" Willow asked Professor Honeycutt.

"As a matter of fact, I do," he said. "Hold onto something."

Everyone grabbed onto some part of the ship, and the Professor pushed some buttons, causing the ship to shudder violently. The sky was filled with color as something was happening, though Willow wasn't sure what was going on. When the shuddering stopped, everyone relaxed.

"What just happened?" Willow asked.

Don looked out the window where Earth was prominently displayed. "I think we went back in time," he replied. "Six months to be precise based on the position of the sun."

"What does that mean?" asked Audrey.

"It means that Earth is okay now," answered Willow. "The Professor fixed things."

"So does that mean Splinter is alive?" Leo asked, his eyes filling with hope.

"Yes, Leonardo, at least for now," the Professor responded. "And then the whole world gets sucked into a massive Black Hole after that. Apologies. Bleep!"

"Then that means we have to fix something to prevent this from happening," Willow said.

"We find the piece of the Black Hole Generator before the Triceratons do," April piped up.

"Should be a piece of cake," Casey said.

"Not exactly," the Professor said. "The pieces of the Black Hole Generator are scattered throughout space, and they won't be easy to find."

"Well, that's great!" Raph complained. "It figures this wouldn't be easy!"

"Don't sweat it, Raph," Mikey soothed. "If we mess up, we can just go back in time and fix it again, right?"

"No, you can't," the Professor warned. "In this instance you only have one chance to make it right."

"Great!" grumbled Raph. "So, if we mess up, we're pretty much screwed. Yeah, that makes me feel a whole lot better."

"Still, we have to try," said Leo. "It's our only chance to make things right."

"But where do we look?" asked Willow.

"We'll have to follow the Triceratons since they will be looking for the pieces as well," the Professor answered. "We have no time to lose, so we'd better get this show on the road. Hold on tight!" He pushed some buttons, and the ship began to move at a high rate of speed. Things seemed to be going well, but then something hit the ship, causing all of them to lose their balance.

"What happened?" gasped Audrey.

"Sounds like something hit the ship," answered the Professor. "We'll need to go and assess the damage. Follow me, everyone. I have more than enough space suits for everybody."

Mikey's blue eyes lit up. "Space suits?"

They followed the Professor to a room where there were indeed an assortment of space suits for everyone on board. Willow was amazed and wondered if the Professor had been prepared for their arrival. There was even a space suit for Willow though they had to cut a hole in it to accommodate her tail. She smiled as Leo started quoting "Space Heroes" and imitating Captain Ryan just as he used to do. It was nice to see the old Leo back for once. They made their way out of the ship and into space itself. Willow was amazed at all of it. She had often wondered how it felt for astronauts to be in space, but now she was actually living it, and she liked it.

"Look at me, Sensei Willow!" Audrey yelled as she did a flip in the air.

"Very nice, Audrey!" Willow called back. "This is definitely amazing!"

"Does anyone want to learn how to fix the ship?" the Professor called. "You should learn these things, people!"

Donnie immediately came over, but the rest of them were too busy floating around space to notice.

Willow felt lighter and happier than she had since they had escaped, and she wondered if this feeling would last. Her moment of peace was interrupted when Donnie yelled, "Asteroids!" Willow looked up and saw that a group of asteroids were heading for them. They ran to the ship and immediately piled in. The Professor ordered everyone to take positions, and the Turtles, April, and Casey immediately did as he asked. There weren't any positions for Willow and Audrey to take, so they just held on as the Professor navigated the ship to avoid the asteroids. The ship swerved violently, causing Willow to feel nauseated. Maybe being in space wasn't so good after all.

They managed to avoid the asteroids and get clear of them, much to Willow's relief. That had been a close call.

"Are you okay, Audrey?" Willow asked her student.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay, Sensei Willow?"

"I've been better," Willow replied.

The ship slowed down as it approached another planet, and the Professor announced that they were making a pit stop to fuel up. The Turtles, April, Casey, and Audrey decided to explore the place, but Willow decided to stay behind since she still wasn't feeling well.

"Be careful, and don't get into any trouble!" she cautioned.

'Yes, and don't do anything to make anyone mad at you," the Professor added.

After they left, the Professor turned to Willow. "Not feeling well?" he asked.

"No, not really," she answered.

"Ah, yes, sometimes that can happen," he said. "But I had no other choice."

"I'm not blaming you, Professor," Willow said. "So, how did you know to find us?"

"Bishop sent me as he's a friend of mine."

Willow tried to remember who Bishop was, but she couldn't place him. "So, he's a good guy?" she asked.

"Yes, and he's the one who tried to help the Turtles. I really do apologize for what has happened, Miss Green, and I do wish I could have prevented it."

"It's not your fault, Professor. We can fix this ourselves."

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy. The Triceratons are not going to give up until they achieve their mission to destroy the Kraang. That was what they were doing on your planet in the first place."

"They wanted to destroy Earth just because of the Kraang?"

The Professor nodded. "Yes, and they figured that the planet was guilty for harboring them."

Willow bristled. "But that's not fair!" she snapped. "We didn't ask the aliens to come here! And what were we supposed to do anyway? We thought we had defeated them before! It doesn't seem fair for the Triceratons to kill millions of people to achieve their ends."

"True, but history is filled with people who have had that aim," the Professor reminded her. "Even your human histories have been filled with people who are greedy with power and who want to wipe out entire civilizations. It's dreadful, yes, but that's the way it has been for years. Even I have been the target of the Triceratons."

"You have? Why?"

"It's not something I want to discuss now," the Professor said. "I would like to know more about you, Miss Green. How did you befriend the Turtles?"

Willow told him the story of the Kraang invasion and how she had come to meet the Turtles. "I didn't know what to think at first, but there was something in me that just trusted them," she concluded. "I think it was because I was already friends with the Mighty Mutanimals, and I knew that there were some mutants who were good."

"Yes, they do seem like honorable warriors," the Professor said.

"Professor, do you really think we can do this?"

"I think if you try hard enough, you can do anything. But you must know that there are risks involved. But there is a question I wanted to ask you. Why did you want to be let out of the ship? What was your mindset?"

Willow thought about lying, but she knew that wasn't the answer. "I wanted to die," she whispered.

"And why is that?"

Tears filled Willow's eyes. "Because I was tired of living," she said.

"Oh, I think there's more to it than that," the Professor said gently. "Is there someone you've lost recently? Someone that meant the world to you?"

Willow nodded. "Yes. Splinter. He's the Turtles' father."

"Ah, I see. I can tell by your voice that he meant a great deal to you."

"He did. I cared about him very much."

"But you are still here. What made you change your mind not to take your life?"

"I was going to stab myself, but then Leo came in, and I realized I couldn't do it."

"And why is that?" the Professor inquired.

"Because I knew I had to keep on living to take care of the Turtles. I knew Splinter wouldn't want me to take my life and leave them behind with no one to look after them. That's why I decided to live."

"And that is a very admirable thing you did, Miss Green," said the Professor. "Not many would come to that conclusion on their own. They would wallow in despair and feel as though nothing is worth living for. But you found the thing to keep you going and made the decision that your life is worth something after all."

"Have you ever felt that way, Professor?" Willow asked him.

"No, I can't say I have," he replied. "But do not judge yourself for how you felt. You are here now, and the only thing you can do is keep on living and being there for the ones you care about."

Willow nodded and was reassured by the Professor's words. She didn't have much time to dwell on it because the Turtles and humans burst through the ship. The Professor looked out and saw who was pursuing them and was exasperated.

"Who is he?" Willow asked as she looked at the fly creature.

"His name is Lord Dregg," the Professor answered. "And he is NOT a nice creature."

They tried to escape, but Lord Dregg and his minions entered the ship. Willow took up a defensive stance as one of the minions came at her. She landed a blow to his shoulder, causing the minion to rocket back, but he came at her again. She dodged him and his sludge and tried for another attack, but he dodged it and managed to land a blow on her, causing her to stumble back. Willow shook the cobwebs from her head and started to attack again, landing another blow. She took out her blaster and blasted the minion back, but he came back and knocked the blaster out of her hands before knocking her down again. She kept battling him until he and the others escaped. Then she turned to the others.

"Is everyone okay?" Willow asked.

"We're good, Mom," Leo answered. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," Willow replied.

"Well, things just got worse," the Professor said.

Willow looked to see a whole Triceraton fleet blocking their way.

"Oh shit," she cursed.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. Sorry some things seemed out of place, but I tried to go from memory of how the episode played out, and I can't remember everything that happened, so I improvised. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.

Guest: I'm sorry you feel that way, but at least you tried to read this story. I do want to clarify something though. Willow is not a brat. She's protective of the Turtles, and her mistrust of Karai isn't entirely out of place. Yes, Karai was mind-controlled by Shredder, but Willow feels that maybe Shredder could have brainwashed her another way without mind control, too, and if so, then she's not entirely cured. That's why she's mad and wants revenge for what Karai did, and she's astonished that Splinter, as their father, isn't mad about what his daughter tried to do. That's why Willow is mad at him and leaves the sewers to cool off. You may think it's more about being a brat, but she's just a mother who wants to protect her sons.

As for fight scenes, yes, that's my stumbling block. I should be more descriptive, but I always feel that even if I am descriptive, it never seems to come out right to me and I feel that it's horrible every time. I promise to try my best to do better with that on my own, and I think I can once I get in the right mindset. I've tried to do the best I can with this chapter and have tried to make the fight scene more descriptive to improve on that.

I'm sorry this story disappointed you, and I'm not offended that you don't want to read it. But I do want to say that if you are Rebel Mutant on FF, I think it would have been better for you to sign in and review that way so I know who you are. If you are someone who doesn't have an account here, then I understand why you would log in as a Guest. Thanks for reading. I promise I will try and do better in regard to the fight scenes. I think I just have to try and have better self-esteem and try not to hold back. I'm sorry you don't like the story, but thanks for reading and giving me your honest opinion. I definitely appreciate it.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Love and Punishment

A/N: So here's the next chapter in this saga. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but then this idea came to me, and I had to do it. I'm not going to talk about every episode in the space arc because I can't remember all of them off the top of my head, but I will reference some of them and leave it at that. Thanks to those who have put this on their favorites list. It means a lot to me that this story resonates with you. Don't be shy and feel free to leave a review as well. I love feedback. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Audrey Donnelly, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

A noise woke Willow from her deep sleep. She sat up in bed and listened again. Yes, those were footsteps in the hallway, but who would be up at this hour of the night? Then again, they were in space so day and night were pretty much relative terms as far as they were concerned. The mutant cat got up and opened her door, peering out into the hallway. No one was by her door so she crept out and saw a familiar figure standing by one of the windows of the ship.

"Raph?" she questioned.

The Turtle turned and looked at her. His eyes had a sad look in them and they were rimmed in red which meant he had been crying.

"Hey, Mom, what are you doin' up?" he asked her.

"I could ask you the same thing," she responded.

"I couldn't sleep," he said.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

He shook his head. "No, I was just thinkin' about stuff."

A smiled curved Willow's lips. "You were thinking about Y'Gythba weren't you?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I guess I was thinkin' about Mona," he answered. "I was just thinkin' about how I may never see her again, and it just sucks."

"You really like her, don't you?" Willow asked softly.

Raph nodded. "Yeah, I do. No one has ever made me feel this way before. I never really knew I COULD feel this way."

"Donnie feels that way about April," Willow pointed out. "Leo felt that way about Karai. Heck, Mikey felt that way about Renet. So why do you think that you would be exempt from that?"

"Because I'm a mutant turtle, Mom," Raph answered. "We don't' get the chance to fall in love. We're freaks of nature and no one would ever feel that way about us."

"But someone made you feel that way," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it will last," Raph replied. "We aren't meant to fall in love."

Willow put a hand on her son's shoulder. "Oh, my son, how wrong you are," she said. "I wasn't meant to fall in love with Splinter, but I did."

"Yeah, but you're a mutant now," said Raph. "It's different."

"So why is it okay for me to fall in love but not you? Sure, Y'Gthba is a Salamandrian, but that shouldn't matter. You two feel the same way about each other, and I think you should go with it. Even if you never see her again, you'll still have your memories. Don't resist this, Raph. Give yourself the chance to feel something other than the anger you tend to hold onto."

Raph stared at her and then smiled. "Okay, Mom, you win," he said. "I'll hold onto these feelings, but if my brothers tease me about it, I'll beat the green off of them."

She smiled. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Now, get to bed, Tiger. You've got to be fresh for the morning."

"Yes, Mom," Raph said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Willow said as she gave him a hug. They parted ways and Willow settled into her room, happy that she could help one of her sons through his trying ordeal. She knew he was going to be resistant to the idea of falling in love, but she hoped that in time, he would welcome the feelings and learn not to hold back or take them for granted. She was sure Splinter would be proud of her for taking on that little bump. With that last thought in her head, she fell asleep and hoped that tomorrow would be a good day, too.

22222

Willow waited anxiously as she stared out of the ship along with everyone else. She waited as Raph came hurrying in with Leo by his side.

"Any sign of Armaggon?" she asked.

"Nope," Raph answered. "I think we roasted him."

"Yeah I think he's gone," Leo answered. "But at least you guys are safe."

Willow stared at him, anger coursing through her veins. She reached out and slapped Leo hard in the face.

"Ow!" he yelled. "Mom, what was that for?"

"Hamato Leonardo, what were you thinking?" she demanded. "You could have been killed out there! Do you realize what would have happened if you had died? Do you realize how guilty I would have felt? And what do you think I would have told Splinter once we got back? 'Sorry, but your oldest son died because he wanted to play the hero and risk his own life for everyone else.' Yeah, I'm sure that would go over well with him!"

"Mom, calm down," Leo soothed. "I'm the leader. It's my job to protect everyone."

"But not at the cost of your own life!" Willow yelled. "I won't allow it! Get to the holo-generator now!"

Leo bowed and immediately did as she asked.

"Mom, should I go in, too?" Raph asked.

"No, you saved him, Raph," Willow answered. "You don't have to be punished." She stepped into the holo-generator with her oldest son, anger clear on her face. The room changed to the dojo they both knew. She turned and grabbed a bokken for herself and for Leo, too. She tossed him the weapon which he caught.

"Mom, are you sure you want to do this?" asked Leo.

"You need to be taught a lesson," answered Willow. She bowed to her son, and he bowed back before they assumed a battle stance. Willow charged at Leo, swinging her bokken, but he dodged her attack. She swung again, and he blocked her with his bokken. They fought for control, each of them straining hard to be the victor in this match. Willow was tough, but she had never fought like this before with such intensity. They broke apart and then came at each other again. Leo managed to sweep Willow's feet from under her, but she regained her balance and clipped Leo's shell with her bokken. He let out a yelp, and she used that distraction to unseat him. As he fell on his back she began to beat him with the bokken and landed hits to his arms legs and even his backside as he struggled to get away from her.

"Mom, what's gotten into you?" he asked.

Willow didn't answer and continued her assault. She was seeing red and it was something that had never happened to her before.

"Mom, stop!" Leo yelled.

Those words snapped her out of her trance, and she stopped her attack. She gazed down at her son and saw the bruises littering his body. She stared at him and then at the bokken in her head. With a gasp, she dropped the weapon as she remembered her father beating her with the same weapon in a drunken rage after she had tried to defend her mother from his wrath.

"Oh my God!" she whimpered. "Leo, I'm so sorry! I don't know what got into me!" She turned and ran from the holo-generator. She ran to her room and fell onto her bed, sobs wracking her body. How could she have done that? How could she have lost control? Was she any better than her father? Would she alienate the Turtles and maybe even Splinter, too?

Someone stole into her room and got on her bed.

"Mom, are you okay?"

Willow turned to see Mikey looking at her, his light blue eyes filled with concern.

"No, I'm not," she answered. "I'm a monster, Mikey. I can't believe I lost control like that!"

"It wasn't your fault," he said gently. "You were just mad. You should see Raph when he gets really mad at someone. It's a sight to see."

"I'm not Raph, Mikey," she told him. "I'm supposed to be the master. I'm supposed to be in control at all times. I can't snap like that."

"We all have days like that, Mom," Mikey pointed out. "Even I have days when I'm mad. I know you may not think that, but it's true."

"I beat Leo, Mikey," she said. "I never should have done that."

"None of us are perfect, Mom, not even you. Heck, Splinter's gotten really mad at us before, too. He's even hit us with his walking stick when he's been really upset. It happens."

"I'm just like my father," she muttered. "I'll always be like him."

"Your dad wasn't a nice guy, was he?" Mikey asked softly.

"No. He was an alcoholic, and he beat me with a bokken during one of his drunken rages after I tried to defend my mother from him."

"Whoa! That's awful, Mom."

"And now I just did what he did," she said. "I just lost control."

"But you're not him, Mom. You don't drink, and you're such a loving mom to us. You just had a bad day, and your emotions got the best of you. It'll all blow over, and I'm sure Leo will forgive you. He's not one to hold grudges like Raph does."

Willow sighed. "Do you really think this will get better?"

"I know it will, Mom. You're always gonna be the best mom we've ever had. Nothing will change that no matter how many times you lose your temper."

"Thanks, Mikey," Willow said as she gave her youngest son a hug. "I can always count on you to see the light even with this bad time."

"No problem, Mom. That's just who I am."

She got up and went to the living area where Leo was seated. Seeing what she'd done brought tears to her eyes, but she had to face what had happened. "Leo, I'm so sorry," she said. "I don't know how I can make this up to you."

"That's okay, Mom," Leo said. "I know it wasn't your fault. You were just scared of losing me, and I was a bit reckless with that stunt. I promise not to scare you like that ever again."

She smiled at him. "I'm going to hold you to that," she said. She reached out and gave him a gentle hug which he returned. Then she turned to the others.

"I'm so sorry for my actions. Can you forgive me?"

Everyone nodded and reassured Willow that they didn't hold a grudge against her for what she did.

"But I'm gonna remind myself not to get on your bad side," Casey joked.

22222

 _I think I learned a valuable lesson today. I never thought I would lose control like that, but it happens to the best of us. Still, I'm going to do my best to not let my emotions control me like that and to always think before I do anything stupid. I still shudder to think that I could have killed Leo, but at least I snapped out of it in time. I'll use this as a reminder that I should cherish my sons even when I get mad at them._

 _I don't know what's going to happen next or how we're going to find these pieces, but I hope we can do it soon. I want to go home and get back to where we were before all of this happened. I want our lives to go back to normal and not to worry about any of this. I guess we'll just have to take it day by day, but it's not easy by a long shot. Well, I had better get to bed._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Mother and Cub

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. I know I'm skipping a few episodes, but I really loved "The Cosmic Ocean" because of it being a Leo-centric episode, and that was the episode that made me decide to go with the space arc in this universe instead of making it different as I originally planned. So this little chapter will take place after that episode. Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words have meant the world to me, and I'm glad that you like this story and that it resonates with you.

Ace: I'm glad you like this story so far. Thanks for reading and for the kind words. It means a lot to me.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are owned by Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Audrey Donnelly, and any other characters not associated with TMNT.

Willow sat in her room and thought about what had happened that day. She thought about how she'd almost lost Leo and how that shark had almost hurt him. She remembered how helpless she'd felt as she watched Armaggon holding her son hostage and her not being able to do anything. Her instinct had told her to protect her son and to make that jerk get off of him, but her wiser sense told her to leave it alone to protect Leo. She knew that if she had made a sudden move, Armaggon would have killed him, and she never would have been able to live with herself if that had happened.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Mom, can I come in?" Leo asked.

"Sure," she answered.

Leo entered her room and sat down on her bed.

"How are you holding up, Captain?" she asked him.

He smiled at her. "I'm fine," he responded.

"Are you sure? Let me check." She began poking and prodding to make sure that he wasn't hurt anywhere.

He ducked and laughed. "Mom, I'm seriously fine," he reassured her. "Donnie already checked me out, and he said I'm good to go."

"Leo, I saw that bomb hit you," she reminded him. "Something has to hurt you."

"I'm seriously okay," he answered. "If I wasn't, I would tell you."

"Okay, but how about the other stuff?"

"What other stuff?" he queried.

She fixed him with a stern glare. "You know what I'm talking about," she said. "Are you over your depression?"

"I wasn't depressed!" he protested. "I was just thinking about what could happen if we don't succeed."

"Okay, but why would you suddenly think that? You never felt that way before."

"A leader has to face all of the possibilities of a mission," he recited.

"Is that what Splinter taught you?"

"Yeah, he did. I always try to take his teachings to heart and learn from them."

"Does visiting with him help?"

"Sometimes. I do think that it's hard sometimes, but I just need to. Whenever I've had a problem I couldn't deal with on my own, I always went to Splinter for advice on what to do. And after I talked to him, I always felt better about everything."

"So you couldn't have come to me instead?" she asked.

Leo flushed a little at her questioning gaze. "I probably could have, but I just needed to talk to Sensei. I miss him, Mom. He's the only dad I know."

Willow put her arm around him. "I know, sweetie," she soothed. "I'm sorry this has been so hard for you. I really wish I could have done something to save him for you."

"There was nothing any of us could do," he said. "Splinter made his choice. I don't think even he knew what would happen to him."

"I don't think he did either, but I hope we can fix this," she said. "Is it okay if I go with you when you visit him again?"

"Sure, if you want," he answered. "We can go now. I was just seeing if you were okay."

"I'm fine, but I'll definitely go with you," she said.

The two of them left Willow's room and made their way to the holo-generator. Leo opened the door and stepped aside for Willow to go first. She did so and waited for her son to come after her. They went to the center of the room and waited as it transformed into the dojo they both knew. A table appeared with three cups of tea and a familiar figure sat there. Willow's breath caught in her throat as she looked at her beloved Splinter. This was the first time she was seeing him since he died. She had an urge to run and throw her arms around him, but she knew he would disappear if she did that.

Leo squeezed her shoulder. "Are you okay, Mom?" he whispered.

"Yeah," she said. "It's just that I haven't seen him since he died."

"It is good to see you, Willow," Splinter said. "Please, sit down."

Willow sat next to her son and took the cup of tea. She sipped it, and it tasted like the tea she remembered having when she had tea with Splinter at home.

"How are you, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"I am fine, my son," Splinter answered. "How are you?"

"I'm better," he said. "We had a mission and we succeeded. I was afraid we wouldn't, but we did. I even got complimented by the queen of Veruna."

"I see. That is most impressive, Leonardo. I am very proud of you."

"Thanks, Sensei, but it wasn't easy. We even had to deal with Armaggon again."

"But it all worked out," Willow added. "We even acquired the second piece of the Black Hole Generator. We only need one more, and then our mission will be a success."

"Well, first we have to destroy it," Leo reminded her.

"Yeah, but we're closer to achieving our goal," she countered.

"How are you holding up, Willow?" Splinter asked her.

His question brought her up short for a minute, and she hesitated on how to answer him. "I'm holding up better than I was," she replied. "It wasn't easy at first. I almost made a rash decision, but I stopped myself in time before I could do it." She didn't go into details, and Splinter didn't ask her to. More than likely, he could guess as to what she had almost done. That was the amazing thing about Splinter. He could sense things without anyone telling him.

He smiled at her. "I am glad you did not make that decision, my love," he said. "You are too noble for that and have too much to live for."

"I miss you, Splinter," she said. "I can't wait to see you again."

"You will see me again once more," he said. "Never give up hope. And thank you for taking care of my sons for me. You are a good mother to them, and I am so glad I found you."

"I'm glad I found you, too," she replied. She reached out to touch him, but he disappeared. She sighed. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay, Mom," Leo said. "It happens. But did it help to see him?"

"A little," she admitted. "But it's not the same thing. I want to touch him and hold him."

"I know," Leo soothed. "But we will once we achieve our mission."

She smiled. "Yeah, we will. So, shall we go eat, Captain?"

"Yeah, I'm hungry," he answered. "I'm so lucky to have you, Mom. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I'm lucky to have you and your brothers, too, Leo," she said. "You have been a good source of comfort in my life." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled at her, and then the two of them left to go eat some food for lunch.

22222

 _My mom often told me that sometimes we don't appreciate things until they're gone. Well, I'm learning that I appreciate a lot more about my life than I did before and how lucky I am to even be here at this moment. I miss Splinter so much it hurts, and that's why I never bothered to visit him. But seeing him today with Leo really helped me to appreciate how awesome he was and how I always admired him for what he did for the Turtles. I'm now in his role, and it's not easy to care for them, but I'm doing the best I can, and I think I'm doing a good job. I know it's still hard to see Splinter and to not touch him, but I can't help that. I hope that our mission will be completed and that things will go back to the way they were. I know I've said that a lot, but it's true._

 _I think about Splinter all of the time and miss him. I miss my mom, too, and I wonder what she would think of me and what my life has been turned into. More than likely, she wouldn't even know about it. And what if she dies while I'm stuck in space? Then what will happen to me? How will it make me feel to know I wasn't there to hold her hand while she took her last breath?_

 _No, I can't think like that right now. I just can't. I have to think positive and have faith that this will all work out. Mom will be fine. Splinter will be fine. We'll all be fine someday. I just have to focus on the mission and that's it. Nothing else matters now._

 _Well, I'd better get to bed since I can't stay awake anymore. Tomorrow is another day._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter comes to an end Sorry that there wasn't much action in it, but I didn't feel like writing a chapter like that today. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. It'll just depend on what I can think about and when inspiration will come to me. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: How to Mend a Broken Heart

A/N: I know it's been a long time, but I have gotten inspired to continue Willow's story once more. This chapter will take place after the episode "The Evil of Dregg." I know some of you are impatient about the whole reunion between Willow and Splinter, but I will get to that in another chapter. Just be patient. Real life has not been kind to me and now that I have some time to write, I am taking full advantage of it. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far. Your kind words mean the world to me and keep me going.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, and Audrey Donnelly.

Willow woke up and sensed that something wasn't quite right. Heart pounding, she rose and padded out of her room, checking each of the Turtles' rooms to make sure they were okay. Three of them were where they should have been, but one room wasn't occupied. Willow went through the ship and soon found the missing occupant in the holo-generator practicing some katas. She watched him for a bit and could tell that he was still angry about what had happened earlier on their latest adventure.

Raph finished with a roundhouse kick before noticing that he had an audience. "Oh, hey, Mom," he said.

"Couldn't sleep?" Willow asked him.

Raph shook his head. "Nope." He sighed and sat down on the floor of the holo-generator. "This sucks."

"She didn't mean to betray you, Raph," Willow reassured him. "Her whole planet was threatened. She had no choice."

"That doesn't mean it hurts any less," pointed out Raph. "What would you do if Splinter betrayed you like that?"

"I would be very hurt if he did that, but I know he wouldn't unless he had to," she replied. "And I think that even if he did, he would feel horrible about it and would try to make it up to me if he could. I'm sure Mona will want to do the same if you see her again."

Raph snorted. "I doubt that," he grumbled.

"And yet, when she was stung, you were worried for her," Willow reminded him.

"Yeah, but I was still mad at her too."

"Even when she said she loved you?"

"Now that I wasn't expecting," he admitted.

"And why not? Because you're a mutant?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, we don't have many options, do we?"

"I don't know about that," she said gently. "I never thought I would find someone, and then I found Splinter. Love is possible for you, Raphael. It's possible for anyone who wants it as long as the one you love feels the same way you do."

"I just don't see things the way you do, Mom. You have this hope in you that things will work out for the best. I always believe that things are always gonna get worse. Being a ninja comes with a price. You never know if you're gonna live to see the next day. And I get why you feel the way you do about love, but I just don't see it. I tried it, Mom, and I got hurt. Love isn't worth it. It only leads to someone screwing you over."

"Not all love is like that, my son. You love your brothers, right?"

"Yeah, but that's different," Raph said. "I know they have my back and I have theirs. We're family."

"Exactly. Hold on to that love, Raphael. You're not alone in this world and never will be. You have others who love you every day, and as long as you have your family, love is not lost for you. All of this will work out in time."

"How do you know this stuff?"

Willow smiled. "I was once in love myself," she admitted. "He seemed like such a nice guy, and I really enjoyed everything we did together. I felt like we were soul mates and that we would be together forever. But unfortunately, he didn't see things the same way I did."

Raph grew curious. "What happened?"

"At first, he was a very respectful man, but then he began to get very violent with me. He would hurt me and tell me that I was his to control. He made me do things I didn't want to do, and if I tried to resist, he would beat me."

Raph's green eyes darkened in anger. How could someone so cruel hurt his mother like that? "So, what did you do?"

"I fought back and then reported him to the police," she replied. "He was a man my father had picked out for me which comes as no surprise to this day. I felt betrayed once I found out exactly what type of man he was, and, like you, I felt that love wasn't worth it and that I would be alone forever. But as you now see, I have found happiness, and I wouldn't change it for the world. So, remember my story, Raphael, for it is proof that love is not lost and you will find that special someone one day."

"I just hope we can get him back," Raph whispered.

Willow put a paw on his shoulder. "We will," she said firmly. "Now, it's time you were in bed."

Raph sighed. "Okay. Good night, Mom. Thanks for talking to me."

"You're welcome, Tiger. That's what I'm here for."

22222

 _I have to admit that talking to Raph was a good thing to do. He is clearly wounded over Mona's betrayal, but I feel that things will work out in the end for both of them even if it may not be right away. In any case, I think talking about my own experiences with love has helped both Raph and me. That story was not something I have shared with everybody, and I was glad that it gave Raph a different view of me and how I had been wounded in love. But now, things have changed, and I believe that we will get Splinter back and everything will be as it should be in the end._

 _The stars are bright tonight. I am going to make a wish on one and then go to bed since we have an early start tomorrow._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter comes to a close. This one was a bit short, but I still liked how I did it and the talk Willow had with Raph. I hope that the rest of you liked it too. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	22. Chapter 22

Chaper 22: Back Home Again in New York

A/N: I know it has been a while since I have worked on this saga, but real life has taken over and I just haven't had time for anything lately. I am starting to get back into writing so I will do my best to update when I can though taking care of my father comes first and always will. I ask all of my faithful readers to please be patient with me as taking care of my father is not easy and not something that is always filled with good days. Thanks to those who have read and reviewed thus far for your encouragement has helped me to continue with this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, Audrey Donnelly, and any other characters not associated with Nickelodeon.

Willow crept out of the room she shared with Audrey and made her way to Splinter's room. She felt the need to be with him tonight after everything that had happened. They had saved the world just as they had hoped, but she was still frightened that it was just a dream and that Splinter wasn't with her.

She found him in his bed, sleeping peacefully. She let out a sigh of relief and decided to join him in slumber. She put her arm around him and sighed, determined not to let him go again.

The next morning, she heard him stirring and opened her eyes to meet his brown ones. He looked at her as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"How long have you been here?" he asked her.

"A long time," she answered. "I just wanted to make sure this was real and not a dream."

He smiled in understanding. "I assure you that it is very much real. Now, we had better wake up for we have a big day ahead of us."

She nodded and followed him to begin a new day. Even if this was a dream (and she was certain that it wasn't any such thing), then she was willing to stay in it as long as she could.

22222

"So, what was space like?" Cynthia asked her.

"It was pretty amazing, but I'm glad to be back home," Willow replied. "How are things with you?"

"Pretty good," Cynthia answered. "I take it you're doing well?"

"As good as I can be under the circumstances," Willow admitted.

"That makes sense," Cynthia said. "Did Splinter really die the first time?"

She nodded. "Yes, but we were able to save him and that's all that matters."

"Are you going to be okay with that?"

"I just hope it doesn't happen again," she said.

"It won't," Cynthia reassured her. "It was just a fluke."

Willow nodded and hoped that her friend was right. She wasn't sure if she could bear it a second time.

22222

Willow sat in Murakami's and smiled when she saw Karai and Shinigami enter the shop. She stood up and led them to the table she had reserved for them.

"It's good to see you two," Willow said.

"Same to you," Karai said. "I want to apologize for what I put your family through, Willow. I never meant for things to get this far."

"I accept your apology, but you need to stop this behavior," Willow chastised. "I know you want to get revenge on Shredder and to destroy what he has built up, but this isn't the way to do it. You put my sons in danger and I will not allow that to happen again."

"I understand, and I assure you that I won't involve them. This is my fight and my fight alone."

"So, you are going to continue your plan then?"

The kunoichi nodded. "Yes. It's the only way to take him down for good."

"Well, I can't stop you even if I wanted to. However, I can advise you to remember that you have a father who cares about you very much and he would be devastated if something happened to you."

"I can take care of myself. But thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome."

22222

"I really messed up, didn't I?" Raph asked his mother.

"We all make mistakes, Raph," she reassured him.

"You don't," he pointed out.

She laughed. "I've made plenty of mistakes in my life and am bound to make many more until I die. It's the way of the world. The key is to learn from your mistakes and to not make them again."

"But I keep making the same mistake. I keep getting mad and then storm off and get into trouble. Donnie got kidnapped because of me."

"But you rescued him and that's what matters," she pointed out.

"So, you're not mad at me?"

"Not at all," she answered.

"You're the best mom a Turtle could ask for," Raph said.

"Thanks, Tiger."

22222

Willow entered Donnie's room. "How are you feeling, Smarty?" she asked him.

"Just fine for someone who got scattered into particles," he answered. "I just hope April's okay."

"She's pretty shaken up over it according to her dad," Willow answered.

"Maybe I should visit her," he suggested.

"No, I think you should give her some space. She's been through a lot right now and so have you."

"Mom, I'm fine," he insisted.

"What was it like?" she asked him.

He seemed startled by the question. "I don't really know. First I felt this pain and then I felt nothing."

"Did you see any light?"

"No, it was like a void. I didn't know where I was and there was nothing and no one with me. Then I felt myself coming back and I was on the rooftop."

Willow paused as she assessed his words. "That's interesting," she said. "Get some rest."

"Good night, Mom."

"Good night, Smarty."

22222

"That is all for today," Splinter declared.

The Turtles, April, and Casey bowed to him before heading out to have some free time. Splinter sighed and retreated to his room once again.

"Yoshi, what's going on?" Willow asked him.

"I need to meditate," he answered.

"Are you having weird dreams again?"

He shook his head. "No, I am fine."

She gave him a stern look. "You're lying, Splinter. Tell me the truth."

He glared back at her. "I am fine. I just need to meditate. Leave me in peace."

She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it and left him.

"Mom, is everything okay?" Leo asked her.

"Everything's fine," Willow reassured him. "Splinter just wanted to meditate."

"He's been doing that a lot lately and hasn't really joined us in any fun stuff," Leo pointed out. "I'm worried about him."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's probably just having a bad day. Let's go watch some Space Heroes to take your mind off of it."

He smiled. "Sounds good to me."

22222

 _I'm very troubled by Splinter's behavior. He barely talks to me and just meditates a lot. I can't ask him what's wrong because he just ignores me and pretends that it's nothing. I don't want to scare my sons, but I fear that something is wrong with Splinter and that he won't open up to me about it because he might be afraid of what I will do. I know they told him of what I nearly tried to do when he died and maybe he's afraid I'll do something rash like that again. But shouldn't he still be honest with me? Why does he feel the need to keep something from me that I might need to know?_

 _I have a feeling it has to do with Shredder who is getting stronger and who still needs to be dealt with. Maybe this has to do with his fears that his foe can't be beaten. But I feel if that was the case, then maybe he would open up to me. No, this has to do with something else, and I just fear that something is going to happen and it won't be what we want it to be._

 _I have to be strong for my sons and for Splinter. That's all I can do right now, but I hope that things will turn out okay and that all of this fear will be unfounded._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

A/N: And another chapter comes to a close. I didn't cover all of the episodes because I didn't have time and wanted to get this chapter done quickly. The next chapter will be the final one for this story and then there will be a sequel that will follow. I will also have a one shot that will take place after "Darkest Plight" that will be about Willow nursing Leo and Splinter back to health so look out for that as well. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Gone in an Instant

A/N: Here is the final chapter for this story. I have really enjoyed writing it and I am thankful that all of you have enjoyed it thus far. I hope you enjoy this final installment of Falling Leaves and thanks to all of you who have read, reviewed, followed, and added to your favorites list as it means a lot to me.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot, Willow Green, Cynthia Lee, and any other characters not associated with Nickelodeon.

The day their lives changed started out like any other.

The Turtles were watching television and Splinter and Willow were meditating together. After the show was over, Leo came in to talk to Splinter and Willow gave them some privacy as she sensed that the two needed time alone. But as she left the dojo, she felt very uneasy for she had sensed something in Splinter's spirit she had not seen before. It was obvious he was troubled about something, but he had refused to open up about it no matter how many times she urged him to talk to her.

Mikey had the idea to go see Karai and asked Leo if he wanted to come too. Leo agreed and even Splinter decided it would be a good idea to get out. This made Willow happy though she sensed, once again, that something was wrong.

She caught up to Leo. "Is everything okay?" she asked him. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine, Mom," Leo reassured her. "It's nothing."

When they arrived at the Mutanimals' headquarters, they found the building ruined and smoldering from a fire. Instantly on alert, they hurried inside and looked to make sure everyone was okay. They found Karai in a heap of rubble and quickly pulled her out and to safety along with everyone else.

Leo immediately did CPR on Karai and was worried it didn't work. Karai coughed and everyone smiled in relief.

"Shredder no longer cares about using Karai as bait anymore," Shinigami said. "He wants us all dead."

"The ambulances are on the way," Splinter said as sirens filled the air. "Shinigami, will you stay with her?"

Shinigami nodded.

Splinter gazed out as though concentrating on something and turned to everyone else. "I see two trails heading in opposite directions," he said. "Raphael, April, Casey, and Slash, you are with me. Leonardo, you are to lead Michelangelo, Donatello, Leatherhead, and Willow in the opposite direction."

"Sensei, I really think we should stick together," Leo insisted.

"I agree with Leo on this one," Willow chimed in. "We need to stay with you."

Splinter ignored her and focused on his son. "Leonardo, remember what I said to you in the dojo." He put his hand on his chest. "From your heart."

Leo and Willow stared after Splinter as everyone else hurried to the Shellraiser.

"Um, Leo, we better get going before the trail runs cold," Donnie said.

"Let's go," Willow said softly.

Leo nodded and they hurried into the van to follow the trail.

They arrived at Coney Island and were on instant alert as soon as they exited the vehicle.

"Tuuurtles, come out and plaaaay!" Bebop's voice taunted. "Remember when I told you guys that the first time? Well, this is Throwback Thursday."

"Da, ve are going to be throwing you back into the next Thursday," Rocksteady added.

Bebop turned to his partner and began arguing with him. Then a missile shot out of the carousel and everyone scattered. This was definitely not going to be a good battle.

Rahzar and Fisface joined the fray and everyone fell into battle. Willow hit out at whoever she could while dodging any projectiles thrown her way. Her worry was for her sons and Leatherhead as well as for Splinter, but she couldn't think about him now. She had to focus on the task at hand and get them out of this alive.

Bebop came at her. "Come and get me, kitty," he taunted.

Willow snarled and lashed out with her katana, but the warthog knocked it back.

"Not so tough now without your sword, are you?" he teased.

Willow responded with a slash across his face with her claws. "Don't be so sure," she retorted.

At one point, she spotted Rahzar pinning Leo to the ground. She readied herself to pounce but Leatherhead beat her to it and slammed into the mutant, knocking him into the river. A few minutes passed that seemed longer until Leatherhead emerged from the water looking triumphant.

"We beat them!" Mikey yelled in triumph.

Le frowned as Bebop and Rocksteady fled the scene. "We didn't beat them," he said. "This was a trap to split us up."

Don's phone rang and April told them to hurry and help. She stated they were at the Wolf Hotel.

"That's where we fought Shredder the first time," Leo explained to Willow.

"So he sees this as a rematch then," she mused.

"Yeah, but I think it's more about Splinter than us," he replied. "We need to get there fast."

Leo was a fast driver for they arrived at the building in record time. Praying that they weren't too later, Willow and the others left the van and sprinted toward the building. Leo took out his telescope and let out a yell of warning.

"Leo, what is it?" Willow demanded.

But he didn't answer and they watched as Splinter's body fell from the top of the building.

"Nooo!" Leo yelled.

Willow wanted to yell too, but her voice failed her as she watched her beloved fall to the ground in a lifeless heap. She sprinted to him and felt for a pulse, hoping against hope that he was still alive. She felt nothing and knew that it was over. There was no saving him like there had been with Karai. She and her sons gathered around his body, tears falling from their faces.

"Father, please!" Leo begged as though his voice alone could rouse his father.

"Papa!" Mikey whispered.

"My love!" Willow whispered. "Please wake up!"

They all bowed their heads and then lifted the body to carry it to the van.

"Where's Shredder?" Willow asked.

"Smashed with a dump truck thanks to me," Casey said proudly.

Willow wanted to say more, but she was still numb. This still wasn't real to her. How could this have happened again?

They reached the Lair and carried Splinter's body to the dojo where they set him down under the tree. They stared at his body again, still not daring to believe that this had happened.

"What are we gonna do now?" Mikey asked.

"We have to bury him," answered Willow. "Did he have any specific wishes about how he was to be buried?"

"He never talked about it," said Leo in a broken voice.

"I think we should bury him at the farmhouse," suggested April. "I'm sure my dad won't mind and it will be peaceful for him there. I think he would have liked that."

"Sounds good," said Leo. He looked at his father one last time and went to his room.

Feeling sorrow for her son, Willow followed him and knocked on his door.

"Go away, Raph," Leo said.

"It's me," said Willow.

Leo opened the door, and Willow took in his tearstained face. He had been doing all he could to keep it together for his brothers, but he needed time to grieve too.

Willow led him to his bed and held him close. "I'm so sorry, sweetie," she said. "I know how much he meant to you."

"He knew, Mom," Leo sobbed. "He knew he was going to die."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "How could he have known?"

"I think that was why he wasn't sleeping well and why he was meditating all of the time," Leo replied. "He had visions he was going to die, but he didn't want to say anything until now." He sighed. "I should have been with him! We could have stopped this!"

"I don't think it would have mattered, Leo," Willow said softly. "Shredder was too powerful. Raph told me that they had a hard time even getting hits on him. He would have done this anyway, and Splinter knew it."

"He shouldn't have split us up!" Leo railed.

"Maybe his vision had to do with one of you and not himself," Willow reasoned. "You know that Splinter always made the wise decisions no matter what they were. I think he was protecting you and wanted to die in your place."

"Mom, what are we going to do now? How can I lead my brothers without him?"

"You can, Captain," she said gently. "I'll be there too and you know I will never leave you."

"I hope not," he said as he buried his face in her fur and cried.

She stroked his shell and whispered soothing words until he calmed down. Then she coaxed him to go to sleep and wait for the morning.

As soon as he was fast asleep, she left his room and checked on her other sons who were also asleep in their beds. Willow gave each of them a kiss before tucking them in and going to her own quarters with Audrey.

"I'm so sorry, Sensei Willow," Audrey said. "I know how much you loved him."

"I'm sorry too, but there's nothing we can do now but honor his memory," Willow replied. "Now, go to sleep."

As soon as Audrey fell asleep, Willow tiptoed out of bed and hurried to the dojo. She gazed upon Splinter's body and let the sobs wrack her body. She folded herself over him and kissed his forehead one last time. Then she curled up beside him and fell asleep beside him for one last time.

22222

She awoke in her bed and figured someone must have carried her there. She felt someone beside her and turned to see Leo lying next to her. He must have carried her back here and lain down beside her to comfort her. She slowly made her way out of bed without waking her son. It was time to get breakfast anyway, so she made her way to the kitchen and began to make bacon and eggs for her sons.

All of them rose at different times, but they were all subdued despite how they tried to put on a brave face for her benefit. Breakfast was eaten in silence and then they went to the dojo to look at Splinter's body again. April had already ordered the headstone and it would be ready within two days. That was all they had before Splinter would be laid to rest. There was no practice for there had to be a mourning period.

After some time, they all left the dojo to pursue their own interests. Willow had no idea what she was going to do, so she retreated to her room to read a book. Not long after, her phone rang, and she hurried to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Willow, it's Cynthia," the voice on the other end said. "I haven't heard from you in a while. Having some alone time with Splinter?"

Normally, Willow would have laughed at such a remark, but now the jibe tore pain through her heart at the reminder of what she had lost. A lump came to her throat and she found she couldn't speak.

"Will, are you there?" Cynthia asked her friend.

Willow swallowed the lump in her throat. "He's gone, Cyn," she said quietly.

"Who's gone?" Cynthia asked her.

"Splinter's gone. Shredder killed him."

Cynthia let out a gasp. "Seriously? When did this happen?"

"Yesterday," she answered.

"Oh, Will, I'm so sorry," Cynthia said sympathetically. "I know how much he meant to you. Is there going to be a funeral?"

"Yes, in two days at the farmhouse."

"I'll be there. It's the least I can do for you. Do you want me to come over?"

Willow had an urge to say yes, but some part of her wanted to be alone right now. "No thanks," she said. "I'll see you in two days, Cyn."

"Okay, see you then," she said and hung up.

Willow felt bad for refusing to see her friend, but sometimes you needed privacy to deal with things like this. As strong as she tried to be for the boys, it was hard for her to not fall apart in front of them. She felt it was silly not being able to grieve, but she wanted her sons to be strong and if that meant she had to keep her own grief at bay, then that was what she would do.

22222

The farmhouse was quiet and still as they arrived there. They got out and carried Splinter's body inside while they got ready to dig the hole to bury his remains. Willow wanted to help, but the boys said they would do it themselves. As they were doing this, more guests arrived to pay their respects to Splinter. Willow smiled as she caught sight of Cynthia's car and was happy her friend had come just as she had promised she would.

Cynthia got out and pulled her friend into a hug. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Thanks," Willow whispered back.

Then Cynthia motioned her hand toward the driveway as another car pulled up. Willow gasped when she saw all of her students climbing out.

"How can this be?" she asked.

"Audrey arranged for this and I helped with the transportation," Cynthia replied. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, I'm so happy right now!" Willow gushed.

One by one, each of her students came and gave her a hug. There was Brad, Austin, Dylan, Tyler, Zach, Alison, Katie, Heather, Chris, Karen, Michelle, and all of the rest. Her heart filled with joy as she saw them.

"You guys aren't freaked out that I'm a mutant?" she asked them.

"Nah, we think it's pretty cool, Sensei," Brad replied.

"But you can't tell anyone else what you have seen here today, got it?" Audrey warned.

"Don't worry, Sensei Willow, your secret's safe with us," Dylan promised and everyone else chimed in their reassurances too.

After the hole was dug, they carried out Splinter's body and gazed at him one last time. Then they lowered him into the hole and covered him up. They stood quietly and observed a moment of silence as they each paid their respects to the life of Hamato Yoshi. One by one, they laid down trinkets in honor of him. Willow's students laid down a bouquet of flowers that included some cherry blossoms. Where they had gotten it, Willow didn't know, but she was happy all the same.

Then they retreated inside to eat some food. Willow told her students about Splinter and how wonderful he was with his wise sayings and gentle manner. The Turtles chimed in with stories of their own about their father and their earlier days as youngsters and the mischief they would get into. They recalled tales of advice their father had given them and how he was always there for them when they were sick.

Hearing these stories made Willow's heart ache for the boys. They were losing the only father they had ever known while Willow was losing the only love she had ever known. And though she was going to be there for her sons, it was still going to hurt to know that they were no longer going to have Splinter in their lives to guide them. That would now be her job, and Willow wasn't sure if she could do it.

Donnie showed them some home movies they had of Splinter that he had put together. Willow laughed at the one of Splinter dancing with his sons to some of the most popular songs. It made her wish she had known them long before this.

Slowly, things began to wind down. They were going to spend one more day there before going home the following night. Everyone settled down for the night and got ready for the days to come.

22222

 _I feel so lost without him. I don't know how I can go on. However, I have to for the boys' sakes. I can't abandon them like I almost did the last time this happened. They need me more than ever now. I just hope they don't lose who they are because of this. I want Leo to still have his geeky side. I want Raph to still have the passion to help others and protect them. I want Donnie to continue to build wonderful things that will help everyone around him. I want Mikey to still be the sunshine I know he can be. Without these things, I fear the boys will lose who they are and will become different beings than what they are. I don't want them to give up just because Splinter is gone. They have to keep going for his sake._

 _And what do I want for myself? Well, that's a tough one. I guess I want to be a good mother to the boys and to still be there for my students. I would say I want Shredder to die, but Casey has already taken care of that little detail. Still, I wish he hadn't. I wish I could have been the one to end Shredder's life and make him pay for what he did to Splinter. But I can't dwell on this now. Splinter would want me to be strong and to help the boys, and that's what I'm going to do._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

22222

The next day was just as subdued as the last one. They still did some practicing, but Willow could tell their hearts weren't in it as they should have been. Leo left after it was over to meditate and though Willow wanted to go with him, she knew her son needed his space to grieve and process what was happening. She was very worried about him for he hadn't said a word since he woke up. His spirit was troubled, and Willow hoped that he would find peace out there in the woods.

"How are you holding up?" Cynthia asked her friend.

Willow sighed. "About as good as I can be," she answered as she watched her students playing with the Turtles and the Mighty Mutanimals.

"I just wish there was something I could do to help," Cynthia said.

"You're here and that's all I can ask for," her friend said. As she watched her students, she noticed that Audrey wasn't playing and was sitting in the grass with Chompy on her lap.

Willow walked over to her. "Audrey, are you going to play with the others?"

Audrey shook her head. "No, I don't feel like it," she said.

"What's bothering you?" Willow asked her.

"I'm just worried about what will happen when we get home," she said. "I don't know if the Foot will still be at your dojo. What if we can't get rid of them?"

"Well, I have a solution for that," replied Willow. "I was thinking of arranging for private lessons for everyone so they can come and learn from me. I know it won't be easy to do, but we'll work it out somehow."

"I'm just glad Shredder's dead," Audrey said. "Now he can't hurt anyone anymore."

"He's not dead," Leo declared as he appeared beside Willow.

She cursed herself for not sensing his presence. "What are you talking about, Leo?" she asked him.

"Shredder's not dead," answered Leo. "Splinter came to me and told me so."

"How could Splinter come to you?" Donnie asked him.

"I was meditating and Splinter came to me," explained Leo. "He told me that Shredder is still alive and we need to finish this once and for all."

"So, does that mean we're going home?" Audrey asked him.

"Yes," he confirmed. "We need to plan this carefully. Slash, did Karai tell you anything about Shredder while she was with you guys?"

"She said she knows where his lair is, but she wouldn't tell us where it is," Slash answered.

"Then we'll have to visit her and get the location out of her," Leo said.

After that, packing was quick and fast as they all prepared to go home to New York. They each said a small goodbye to Splinter and promised to come back once all of this was over. Then they headed to the vehicles and made the trek home.

Willow was quiet as she thought about what Leo had said. Shredder was still alive which meant only one thing now.

She was going to be able to finish him once and for all.

22222

Willow had never been a fan of hospitals, but she knew this was the only way they could get the location of where Shredder was hiding.

Karai woke up and was happy to see them. She asked if Splinter was gone and they told her he was and how sorry they were.

"Slash told us you know where Shredder's lair is," Leo said. "Why didn't you tell us this before?"

"I wanted to take him down on my own," she replied. "I still want that."

"Karai, you have to tell us where it is before he goes after you or April's dad or Casey's family or even Willow's mom," Mikey begged.

Karai could see this was important to them and revealed the location. "And, Leo, give him a few hits from me," she said.

Leo put his hand over hers in a gesture that said he would do it.

They left the hospital and prepared to go into battle getting new weapons and donning black gear. Willow even had a black outfit of her own she had made and smeared black on her face so she would blend in more with the shadows. Leo even handed her a black mask which she put on proudly. Her outfit was a replica of Splinter's kimono with the Hamato Clan symbol on the front and back of it.

"Sensei Willow, I want to go with you," begged Audrey.

"Audrey, you need to stay home," said Willow. "It's too dangerous for you to come."

"But I've been practicing really hard," Audrey protested.

"You're not coming and that's final," said Willow firmly.

"Then why do THEY get to come?" Audrey countered as she pointed at April and Casey.

"Because they are skilled fighters while you are still learning," answered Willow.

That answer wasn't good enough for Audrey. She glared at her teacher and then stormed off in a huff.

"That went well," commented Raph dryly.

"She needs to learn that she can't always get her way," said Willow. "Let's concentrate on what we need to do for now."

They continued planning and soon had everything in place. With one battle cry of, "Booyakasha!" they prepared to leave. Audrey didn't even say goodbye to them, but Willow tried not to dwell on that. She had other things to worry about.

22222

The woods were dark as they trekked through them. Karai had told them the exact location of Shredder's hideout, and they were determined to find it and finish this once and for all. Leo turned and told them that this was where it was as they went through the bushes. It was a pretty impressive place for a hideout and Willow had to wonder who was letting him stay here and how he had managed to pay for it.

As they approached, they were met by a group of Footbots and Fishface. Okay, so this definitely wasn't going to be as easy as Willow had thought. Readying herself, she faced three Footbots , taking them down easily. Fishface was attacking Raph, and soon their battle was being fought underwater. Willow held her breath and hoped she would be able to keep going as long as she could. As a kid, she had never liked going underwater when it came to swimming lessons, and she hated it even more now. Luckily, the tide turned in their favor and they were able to surface. Raph had taken care of Fishface and they headed to the house, wondering just what they were going to deal with next.

"Stay alert," Leo ordered everyone.

They climbed the building's façade and found the room where they believed Shredder was staying. But as they lifted the blankets, they realized that he wasn't there. Then they saw Stockman enter the room, raving about them and what they were going to do. Mikey grabbed one of the light bulbs from Donnie that contained retromutagen and threw it on the mutant fly, turning him back into a human.

"No!" Stockman lamented. "I liked being a fly. I was smarter!" He continued ranting until Mikey knocked him out.

"Well, that takes care of him," said Willow.

"But the retromutagen was meant for Shredder," pointed out April.

There was nothing else to do so they went on into the house and soon ran into a room that looked to be a training room. Bebop and Rocksteady burst in, stating that there was going to be a little training session. But this was no ordinary training session and had lasers and trap doors and all kind of scary looking things.

Shredder is one sick guy, Willow thought and wondered if he had subjected the Foot to this torture as well. She dodged multiple lasers and other traps only to fall to the bottom along with Casey and April. She yelped as a blade almost sliced off her tail and pleaded for Donnie to start hacking faster. It seemed like it would never end, but then Donnie hacked in and the tables were turned on the two villains.

Willow and her family made their escape but had to face Tiger Claw next and he was not in a good mood. Decapitation hadn't been kind to him though he had acquired a new silver hand to replace his old one along with some new gadgets that weren't too friendly. At one point, Tiger Claw had Leo pinned to the ground.

"Do you feel it, boy?" he taunted. "Do you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders now that your Sensei is gone?"

"You dirty cat!" Leo growled.

Willow slashed Tiger Claw in the face with her claws. "Get away from my son!" she hissed.

With a snarl, Tiger Claw tuned on her. "Ah, so you have adopted these little cubs," he sneered. "Is that what the rat was teaching you?"

"At least he taught me to be compassionate unlike you!" Willow spat.

Tiger Claw kept coming at them until the battle was waged outside. Leo managed to jam his rocket pack and sent the mutant tiger flying away from them. Then Leo's eyes fell on the roof and a familiar figure up there.

"Shredder!" he growled.

Willows heart was pounding as she ascended the building. She was about to come face to face with her beloved's killer and she was ready to do all she could to avenge Splinter.

Shredder was ready as they faced him on the rooftop. He taunted them about running away just as they had last time.

Willow hissed. "There's no hiding for any of us and not for you, Shredder. It's time for you to pay for what you have done."

With a nod from Leo, they attacked him from all sides. Shredder was still very skilled, but they pulled no punches this time and kept on coming at him. Willow slashed his face a few times with her claws and stabbed his legs with her swords as well. Donnie even tried retromutagen, but it didn't do any damage to him.

They continued their assault, but it wasn't enough. At one point, the humans were thrown from the building as was Donnie and a fire began to spread, though Willow had no idea where it originated from in all the chaos. One by one, she watched Shredder take down her sons until only she and Leo were left.

"Mom, get out of here," Leo ordered.

"I won't leave you," she declared. "We finish this together."

Her eldest nodded to her as they readied for another attack.

"How touching," Shredder mocked. "You fools have no idea about love. You think it is something that binds you together, but in the end, love is what makes you weak. It was love that finished off my beloved Shen. It was love that destroyed my daughter. It was love that ended Hamato Yoshi's life. Love is for fools and it will be your downfall."

"No, hatred will be your downfall, Saki," Willow declared. With a yell, she lunged for him, but he grabbed her in midair. She struggled in his massive grip as he crushed her.

"Let her go!" Leo ordered.

"No, I will not give in to your demands, freak!" Shredder said. "In fact, I think your beloved mother needs to go the same way as your father. Say goodbye forever!"

The last thing Willow heard before being flung off of the building was her son's cry of, "Mother!"

She felt herself falling down just as Splinter had done. She knew she had done all she could, but there was nothing more she could do now. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe she would join Splinter in whatever afterlife lay beyond this life.

No, she couldn't think like that. She had to keep going for her sons. She twisted her body until she was facing with her feet first as she hurtled down. She did a flip and managed to land on her feet.

"Well, I guess it really is true that cats can land on their feet," she remarked. She looked around and saw her sons and their friends and hurried to them.

Raph crushed her in a hug. "We thought you were a goner," he said.

"I'm not going anywhere, Tiger," she said.

They watched as the flames consumed the building and saw no sign of Leo.

"Leo!" Raph cried. "He's gone!"

Mikey shook his head. "He can't be, can he?"

Suddenly, they spotted a familiar figure coming over the hill. Leo joined them and had Shredder's head in his hand.

"Leo!" Mikey cried.

"Brother!" Raph chimed in.

Leo looked at them and held up Shredder's head for them to see. "The Shredder is finished," he declared.

It was over.

They had won.

22222

 _And so, we returned to the city as heroes. Karai was elated when she heard the news and I could tell she was happy it was Leo who had dealt him the final blow. She began coming around the Lair more often though she declined when asked to move in and said she would stay with the Mighty Mutanimals instead. I told her she was welcome over whenever she wanted to come and she thanked me for that._

 _Leo recounted his final battle with Shredder with great gusto. He was just happy the ordeal was over and now Splinter could rest in peace knowing that his enemy was finally gone. Everyone was proud of Leo, and I made it a point to reward him for his great victory with a celebratory pizza and his choice of TV shows for the night which pretty much included a Space Heroes marathon._

 _Life won't be easy with Splinter gone, and we know that though Shredder is dead, there are others who would probably take his place. But that doesn't matter because we will defeat them just as we defeated Shredder. As long as we are together, nothing can stop us. We will continue to live on for Splinter and do what he can't do anymore. I vowed to take care of the Turtles and that is just what I'm going to do._

 _A wise rat once said that life goes on no matter what, and I now understand what that means. I have to keep living and take care of my sons. I can't dwell on what could have been and have to focus on what is. Splinter is gone, but I'm still here, and I have to keep fighting for him and for our boys._

 _I promise to keep fighting, Yoshi, and I will always love you. And I have decided to call this diary Yoshi in honor of you and your amazing spirit. Hopefully, it will give me good luck even more now that it has a name._

 _I must go, my love. Tomorrow is another day and I have to live it just as you wanted me to._

 _Until next time,_

 _Willow_

The End

A/N: And this story has officially come to a close. I hope you have all enjoyed this little piece as much as I have enjoyed writing it. But there will be a sequel called Roots Before Branches so look out for that one coming soon. And there will also be a one shot called Here Beside You that takes place after Darkest Plight. In the meantime, feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


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